Grizzlies at Hawks
THE STORY: A 4-1 road trip has the Atlanta Hawks feeling confident - and a return home could help them build even more momentum as they entertain the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday night. The Hawks put together their strongest five-game road swing in more than 40 years, capped by back-to-back lopsided victories over the New Orleans Hornets and Toronto Raptors. A three-game winning streak has the Hawks even with the Miami Heat atop the Southeast Division, and a four-game homestand beginning Wednesday against the Grizzlies could lift Atlanta to the top of the standings. The Hawks come in with an 8-1 home mark, second-best in the conference. Memphis kicks off a three-game trek Wednesday after halting a four-game losing skid with a 100-97 overtime triumph over the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday night. It was a streaky kind of January for the Grizzlies, who lost three straight, then reeled off seven consecutive victories before dropping their next four games. Memphis is just 4-7 on the road so far this season.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, SSN
ABOUT THE GRIZZLIES (11-10): Memphis held a closed-door meeting after Monday's loss to the San Antonio Spurs, and the tactic appeared to have fizzled after the Grizzlies fell behind by double digits late in Tuesday's game against the Nuggets. A late rally helped keep the Grizzlies above the .500 mark for the season, but this latest road trip will provide one of the biggest challenges Memphis has faced all season. The Grizzlies wrap up the trek with games in Oklahoma City and Boston.
ABOUT THE HAWKS (16-6): Atlanta's formula for winning has been simple: Let Joe Johnson score at will. The Hawks are a perfect 11-0 when Johnson breaks the 20-point barrier, a trend that continued when he poured in a game-high 30 in Tuesday's 100-77 rout of the Raptors. The Grizzlies have done a good job containing the 30-year-old swingman over the course of his career. Johnson averages just 14.6 points - three below his all-time average - in 14 games against Memphis.
BUZZER BEATERS:
1. Atlanta has won the last four meetings and nine of the previous 10.
2. The Hawks rank tied for seventh in total offense at 97.6 points per game. Memphis is tied for 18th at 93.6.