Trail Blazers at Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks opened the month by losing six of their first seven games, but they have regrouped to go 4-1 in the last five entering Friday's home matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers. The Hawks are sitting in fifth place in the tightly bunched Eastern Conference, trailing fourth-place Brooklyn by two games and holding a 1 1/2-game edge over Chicago and Boston. Atlanta has won seven of the last eight meetings, including a 95-87 victory in Portland on Nov. 12.
The Trail Blazers are trying to stay afloat in the Western Conference and picked up a much-needed victory with a rout of Chicago on Thursday to pull within 3 1/2 games of the eighth-place Los Angeles Lakers. It was only the second win in the last 12 games away from home for Portland, which improved to 10-25 on the road. The Trail Blazers have 14 games remaining and only one (against Dallas) is against a team with a losing record.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, Comcast SportsNet Northwest (Portland), SportSouth (Atlanta)
ABOUT THE TRAIL BLAZERS (32-36): LaMarcus Aldridge had his streak of double-doubles halted at five, but he continues to light it up at the offensive end, averaging 27 points over the last six games. Rookie Damian Lillard bounced back from an eight-point outing in Milwaukee to score 24 against Chicago, drawing praise from a player who knows something about the position. “I'm impressed," Bulls point guard Derrick Rose said. "The things he has done this year are incredible and he's only going to continue to get better."
ABOUT THE HAWKS (38-30): Center Al Horford torched Milwaukee for 26 points and 15 rebounds in Wednesday's 98-90 victory, giving him five consecutive double-doubles and nine in the past 10 games. Horford extended his streak of scoring in double figures to 27 games, putting him within six of his career high. He's averaging career highs in points (17.4) and rebounds (10.2). “He’s an All-Star player," Bucks coach Jim Boylan said. "That’s what All-Stars do, night in and night out. That’s why they’re All-Stars.”
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Atlanta's Kyle Korver needs one 3-pointer to tie Peja Stojakovic (62 games) for the fifth-longest streak in league history.
2. Trail Blazers C J.J. Hickson pulled down a career-high 21 rebounds Thursday.
3. Portland has last four straight in Atlanta and cracked 90 points once - in an overtime loss in November 2009.