Hawks at Bucks
THE STORY: Milwaukee returns home for a game against Atlanta with
momentum on its side. The Bucks are coming off back-to-back road wins
over New York and Miami for their first victories away from home this
season. Milwaukee lost its first eight road games before a 100-86
victory over the Knicks on Friday. The Bucks followed that up with an
even more impressive performance when they defeated the Heat on Sunday
91-82. "It's huge," guard Shawn Livingston said. "Especially for us
being winless on the road and going 2-0 against two good teams,
especially the quality team like the Heat, it’s huge for your
confidence." The Hawks have been one of the league's most consistent
teams in the early season, but begin a five-game road trip that will
last nine days. Atlanta has won eight of 10 overall and is 4-4 away from
home. The Hawks are 5-1 since losing Al Horford to a pectoral injury
that will sideline the All-Star center until the playoffs.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, SportSouth (Atlanta), FS Wisconsin (Milwaukee)
ABOUT THE HAWKS (12-5):
Atlanta coach Larry Drew has set a high standard for his team. When the
Hawks' four-game winning streak ended Friday in Philadelphia, Drew was
quick to let his team know how unhappy he was. "It got tough for us and
we quit," Drew said. The Hawks obviously paid attention and routed
Cleveland 121-94 the following night. Atlanta recorded its highest point
total of the season and placed five players in double figures. "We all
wanted to bounce back," guard Jeff Teague said. "I don’t think we took
(the criticism) personally. We’ve got to get the killer instinct. I
think we’re starting to get better at that."
ABOUT THE BUCKS (6-9): Milwaukee used a strong defensive effort to
beat Miami. The Bucks held the Heat to a season-low 37 percent from the
floor and forced 22 turnovers that resulted in 22 points. Milwaukee's
defense helped offset its 35 percent shooting. The Bucks even got some
help from Stephen Jackson, who was benched for Friday's game because he
slept through shootaround. An obviously well-rested Jackson scored 10
points, including a key 3-pointer in the fourth quarter. "The biggest
thing is I hate not being out there and tonight I was able to help my
team," Jackson said.
BUZZER BEATERS:
1. Brandon
Jennings had an unusual line Sunday. He scored 23 points, but was
5-of-20 from the field and made only one of his 10 3-point attempts.
Jennings was 12-of-13 from the foul line, with six assists and six
rebounds.
2. The NBA's schedule makers obviously didn't consult a
map when they put together Atlanta's road trip. After playing in
Milwaukee, the Hawks travel - in order - to San Antonio, Detroit, New
Orleans and Toronto.
3. The teams split their four matchups last season. The Hawks took a 95-80 win in Milwaukee on Dec. 27, 2010.