Warriors at Hawks
THE STORY: Atlanta, which limped into the All-Star break with five losses in seven games, hosts Golden State on Wednesday. Standout guard Joe Johnson missed the final two games before the break with tendinitis in his left knee. The injury forced him to sit out the All-Star Game, but he could return against the Warriors. Golden State opened post-break play with a 102-78 loss in Indiana. Guard Stephen Curry sat out with a strained tendon in his right foot.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, CSN-Bay Area (Warriors), SSO-Atlanta (Hawks).
ABOUT THE WARRIORS (13-18): Not having Curry's 16.5-point average didn't help Tuesday, but coach Mark Jackson didn't want to hear any excuses in a game that saw Golden State fall behind by 30 points in the third quarter. Jackson called the performance "embarrassing" and said his team was outworked. That's not a positive thing to hear with the Warriors in the middle of a six-game road trip. It's also not good news that Curry is unlikely to play against Atlanta.
ABOUT THE HAWKS (20-14): Atlanta broke a three-game losing streak with a home win over Orlando in the final game before the break, but the Hawks are slipping fast in the East. Atlanta is 4-8 this month and has fallen to sixth in the conference. The Hawks have also lost four of their last six at home, where they were once 8-1. It's obvious Atlanta needs Johnson, who averages 17.6 points a game, to return as soon as possible.
BUZZER BEATERS:
1. Hawks backup guard Willie Green has provided a scoring punch with Johnson sidelined. Green has averaged 15 points and shot 13 for 26 from the field.
2. The Hawks have beaten the Warriors in their last three meetings. The teams don't play again this season.
3. The Warriors had season lows in points and field-goal percentage (.341) against Indiana. Golden State shot 3 for 22 on 3-pointers.
PREDICTION: Hawks 102, Warriors 88.