Bobcats at Hawks
THE STORY: Atlanta had a bad night in Indiana on Wednesday. That's probably not good news for the Charlotte Bobcats as they visit the Hawks on Thursday. Atlanta scored nine points in the third quarter in its 96-84 loss to the Pacers. "We did everything wrong," coach Larry Drew said. "We turned the ball over, we missed layups, we missed blockout assignments. Everything that could have gone wrong went wrong in the third quarter." The Bobcats are coming off their worst game of the season, an 82-70 home loss to Houston. Charlotte was a gracious host in the Rockets' first road win of the season. The Bobcats didn't reach the 20-point mark in the last three quarters. Coach Paul Silas was understandably displeased with the performance. "I thought we were tired and couldn’t really do anything, couldn’t execute, couldn’t run, couldn’t defend," he said. "It was just one of those nights."
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, SSO Charlotte (Charlotte), Sports South (Atlanta)
ABOUT THE BOBCATS (2-8): Backup center Byron Mullens, acquired in a trade with Oklahoma City during training camp, continues to make strides in his third NBA season. He has scored in double figures in six of the last eight games and recorded his second double-double of the season against Houston with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Mullens has shown the range to shoot from the perimeter and also is effective in the lane.
ABOUT THE HAWKS (7-4): Atlanta is suddenly dealing with multiple injuries. Forward Marvin Williams has missed the last two games with a sprained ankle. Guard Tracy McGrady was a late scratch Wednesday because of back spasms while center Al Horford sustained a shoulder injury in the first quarter and didn't return. It's uncertain if any of the players will be available against Charlotte as the Hawks play their third game in four nights.
BUZZER BEATERS:
1. Charlotte center Boris Diaw has gone to the line twice in 10 games this season. He hasn't shot a free throw in his last 185 minutes, covering seven games.
2. Atlanta center Jason Collins was called for a Flagrant 2 foul and ejected in the closing seconds of Wednesday's game
3. The Hawks defeated the Bobcats 102-96 in overtime earlier this month in Charlotte.