Hawks at Suns
The Phoenix Suns earned a shocking victory at the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night. They will be looking to follow that up with a third straight win when they host the Atlanta Hawks on Friday. The Suns are tied for the worst record in the Western Conference but somehow ended the NBA-best Spurs’ 18-game home winning streak in overtime. The Hawks have won four straight, including the first three stops on a six-game trip.
Phoenix has pulled out its last two games in overtime to match its longest winning streak since mid-December. Veteran big man Jermaine O’Neal has undergone a resurgence off the bench while Marcus and Markieff Morris have gotten comfortable playing together again. Atlanta will challenge O’Neal and Marcin Gortat on the interior with Al Horford and Josh Smith, who have been on a tear of late. Horford collected 34 points, 15 rebounds and five blocks in Wednesday’s 102-91 win at Utah.
TV: 9 p.m. ET, SPSO (Atlanta), FSAZ (Phoenix)
ABOUT THE HAWKS (33-23): Atlanta decided not to deal away Josh Smith at the deadline and has reaped the benefits of that decision during the four-game winning streak. Smith has averaged 20 points, 10 rebounds and five assists during that span to support Horford, who has put up 26 points and 14 boards over the last four contests. Those two have opened things up on the outside for point guard Jeff Teague to distribute and score. The Hawks are up to fourth place in the Eastern Conference with their latest run and are within shouting distance of the Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks in the second and third spots. A big part of their recent success has been an ability to win on the road, where they have taken five in a row by an average of 11.8 points.
ABOUT THE SUNS (20-39): Phoenix is trying to stay out of the West basement, which it currently shares with the Sacramento Kings and the New Orleans Hornets. The Suns put together a strong defensive effort in San Antonio on Wednesday, when the Spurs went 0-for-10 from the field in overtime, and O’Neal has turned back the clock with some big performances. The 34-year-old former star has pulled down 13 rebounds in each of the last two games and scored a team-high 22 points at San Antonio. Phoenix is giving its bench plenty of time lately, led by O’Neal, Wesley Johnson and the Morris twins. Marcus Morris had his best game since joining the team with 11 points in 24 minutes on Wednesday, outscoring his brother by three points.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Atlanta won at Phoenix 101-99 on Feb. 15, 2012, to snap a four-game losing streak in the series. Smith went for 30 points and 17 rebounds in the victory.
2. The Suns’ bench outscored the starters 57-48 at San Antonio. Luis Scola (15 points) and Goran Dragic (13) were the only starters to reach double figures.
3. Horford has averaged 15.7 points and 9.2 rebounds in six career games against Phoenix.