The Atlanta Hawks hope to build on the momentum of a thrilling comeback victory when they travel to face the Washington Wizards on Saturday. The Hawks rallied from a 17-point deficit in the second half Friday for an 88-87 win over Dallas, snapping a three-game losing streak. While they're trying to maintain positive momentum, the Wizards need to prevent a tailspin after a demoralizing 93-73 loss at Indiana on Friday.
The Wizards had a chance to reach .500 for the first time in more than four years but instead had their three-game winning streak snapped in a blowout against the league's best team. Their 73 points marked their lowest output since a 99-71 loss at Miami last Jan. 6. The Hawks haven't lit it up at the offensive end, either, failing to break 100 points in their last seven games, but they put on a strong defensive showing against the Mavericks, especially in a 12-point fourth quarter.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, SportSouth (Atlanta), CSN Mid-Atlantic (Washington)
ABOUT THE HAWKS (9-8): Atlanta boasts the third-best record in the mediocre Eastern Conference, and it's a threat to maintain that lofty spot if its keeps playing solid defense. Point guard Jeff Teague (17.4 points, 8.3 assists) and big man Al Horford (17.1 points, 8.3 rebounds) are putting up big numbers, and Paul Millsap (15.3 points, 6.7 rebounds) hit a huge 3-pointer down the stretch against Dallas. The bench has been thinned by injuries and the reserves contributed only 10 points against the Mavericks, which isn't enough on most nights.
ABOUT THE WIZARDS (7-9): Point guard John Wall's hot scoring streak came to an end against the Pacers, as he was held to eight points. The Wizards need him to be more productive at the offensive end with shooting guard and leading scorer Bradley Beal sidelined at least two weeks with a stress injury to his right fibula and forward Nene nursing a sore Achilles that kept him out against Indiana. Washington's bigger concerns, though, are at the defensive end, where it allows opponents to shoot 47 percent, the fifth-worst mark in the league.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Atlanta has won 18 of the last 20 meetings, but Washington won the most recent one, 93-83 on Jan. 12.
2. Hawks SF Kyle Korver, who has missed two straight games with bruised ribs, needs to hit a 3-pointer in his next game to match Dana Barros' NBA record of 89 consecutive games with at least one.
3. The Wizards are 3-0 on the second night of back-to-back sets while the Hawks are 3-2.