Hawks at Wizards
THE STORY: The Atlanta Hawks are being cautious with forward Josh Smith and his ailing knee with the postseason looming. That means Smith will miss his third straight game when the Hawks visit the Washington Wizards on Saturday. Smith has been dealing with a sprained right knee over the past three weeks and the Hawks would like to have him at close to full strength when they face the Orlando Magic in the first round of the playoffs. Smith is expected to play when the Hawks host the Miami Heat on April 11, a contest that would mark his first activity in eight days. Atlanta badly needs Smith healthy as he’s the team’s top defensive player to go along with averages of 16.7 points and 8.7 assists.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, CSW.
ABOUT THE WIZARDS (21-58): Washington lost 104-88 to the Boston Celtics on Friday for its second straight loss on the heels of the team’s first three-game winning streak of the season. Rookie John Wall had 20 points, seven assists and five steals and Andray Blatche had 20 points and 10 rebounds as both players continue to shine. Wall is averaging 20.8 points and 3.5 steals over the past four games while Blatche has a string of five consecutive double-doubles. Blatche is averaging 26 points and 13.2 rebounds during the stretch. The Wizards have a rematch with the Celtics on Monday and close the season Wednesday with a road contest in Cleveland.
ABOUT THE HAWKS (44-35): Atlanta lost 114-102 to the Indiana Pacers on Friday for its third straight loss. Backup guard Jeff Teague scored 21 points and Joe Johnson tallied 17. Zaza Pachulia had his second double-double in four games with 10 points and 11 rebounds. In addition to not having Smith against the Pacers, Atlanta was also without center Jason Collins, who is resting an injured ankle and won’t play against the Wizards either. Point guard Kirk Hinrich goes up against his former club for the first time since being traded in late February. He has been underwhelming for the Hawks by averaging just 3.3 assists in 21 games. He has 10 assists in the last four games.
WHO'S HOT/WHO’S NOT: Washington guard Jordan Crawford is averaging 24.7 points over the last seven games. Teague is averaging 13 points and shooting 65 percent over the last three contests. Wizards guard Maurice Evans is 1-of-10 shooting over the past two games. Atlanta forward Marvin Williams is averaging just 8.5 points over the last four games.
KEY STATISTIC: Atlanta was outrebounded 49-36 by Indiana on Friday with Smith and Collins out. The Hawks were also outrebounded 39-25 by San Antonio on Tuesday with Smith sitting out. Washington had the same amount of rebounds (38) as Boston during Friday’s game.
SEASON SERIES: Atlanta is 3-0 against the Wizards, including a 99-92 road victory on Feb. 5. The Hawks also notched two home victories, 99-95 on Oct. 30 and 116-96 on Nov. 25.
KEY INJURIES: ATLANTA: F Josh Smith (knee); C Jason Collins (ankle); G Joe Johnson (thumb); C Al Horford (ankle). WASHINGTON: G Nick Young (knee); F Trevor Booker (foot); F Rashard Lewis (knee); C Hamady N'Diaye (knee).
LAST WORD: “We have to do things with energy. We have to do things with passion. These last four games are about preparing for the playoffs. Whether we have guys here or whether they’re out, we have to play with a sense of urgency. Technically, we’re locked into the fifth spot, but we’re trying to get ready for that second season.” – Atlanta coach Larry Drew, unhappy with the effort during Friday’s loss to Indiana.