Hawks at Pacers
THE STORY: A pair of first-year coaches have the Atlanta Hawks and Indiana Pacers headed to the playoffs. Under Larry Drew, the Hawks are returning to the postseason for the fourth consecutive year. It’s been a much more challenging task for Pacers interim coach Frank Vogel, who has worked wonders despite being on the job for only two months. The visiting Hawks will look to extend their nine-game winning streak over the Pacers when the two square off on Friday night.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, SportSouth
ABOUT THE PACERS (36-43): The Pacers were toiling 10 games under .500 when management finally decided to pull the plug on veteran coach Jim O’Brien. Vogel took over on Jan. 30 and immediately the dividends started to pay off. The Pacers have gone 19-16 with Vogel in charge while locking up the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference following a 136-112 victory over Washington on Wednesday. Danny Granger scored 25 points and Darren Collison had 15 points and 11 assists to help the Pacers get back to the playoffs for the first time since 2006. Indiana hasn’t defeated Atlanta since Nov. 18, 2008.
ABOUT THE HAWKS (44-34): Thankfully for the Hawks, they have the No. 5 seed in the East wrapped up, giving some key players a chance to fully heal over the final four games of the regular season. Forward Josh Smith, who is averaging 24.3 points versus Indiana this season, is unlikely to play because of swelling in his right knee. Center Al Horford and guard Joe Johnson are also dealing with nagging injuries but should start. The Hawks had won four straight games before dropping their last two, including a 97-90 setback to league-leading San Antonio on Tuesday. Atlanta, which will face Orlando in the first round, may begin resting some starters down the stretch.
WHO’S HOT/WHO’S NOT: Atlanta point guard Kirk Hinrich had 13 points on Tuesday after scoring a combined 15 in the three previous games. Johnson is struggling from distance, hitting just 2 of his last 14 3-point attempts. Pacers rookie forward Paul George is fresh off a career-high 23 points, including going 5 of 6 from long range. Roy Hibbert is averaging 1.8 blocks for Indiana but has zero in his past two outings.
KEY STATISTIC: 19.6 - the Pacers’ average assists per game, the third-lowest mark in the NBA.
SEASON SERIES: This will be the fourth and final meeting. The Hawks have swept the first three by an average of 13.0 points. Smith had 27 points, 10 rebounds and six assists to guide the Hawks to a 108-93 win on Jan. 8.
KEY INJURIES: INDIANA: None to report. ATLANTA: C Al Horford (ankle); G Joe Johnson (thumb); C Jason Collins (ankle); F Josh Smith (knee).
LAST WORD: "A lot of young guys have shown a lot of growth throughout the year. We've had some highs, some lows, but this is the time of year, where, as Reggie Miller said, you make your money." - Pacers center Jeff Foster after clinching the playoff berth.