Hawks at Thunder
Kevin Durant attempts to add to his string of standout performances when the Oklahoma City Thunder host the Atlanta Hawks on Monday. Durant has scored 30 or more points in 10 consecutive games – including four outings of 46 or more points in January – and posted his fifth career triple-double in Saturday’s victory over Philadelphia. The huge efforts have helped the Thunder win seven consecutive games and they now possess the best record in the Western Conference.
Atlanta has won three of its last four games and routed the lowly Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday. The Hawks will again be without point guard Jeff Teague (ankle) but DeMarre Carroll has returned from a hamstring injury and will be one of the players who will receive opportunities to slow down Durant. Despite losing standout center Al Horford (pectoral) for the rest of the season, Atlanta has remained in third place in the Eastern Conference.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, SportSouth (Atlanta), FSN Oklahoma (Oklahoma City)
ABOUT THE HAWKS (23-20): Atlanta is painfully thin at the point without Teague as Shelvin Mack is in the starting lineup and little-used Dennis Schroder is receiving backup minutes. Backup shooting guard Lou Williams might receive more point-guard minutes against the Thunder after posting five or more assists in each of the last four games. Williams isn’t close to being a true point guard but he grasps the situation and adjusts from his shoot-first mentality when called on to run the offense.
ABOUT THE THUNDER (35-10): Durant is averaging 37.6 points over his last 12 games and his streak of consecutive 30-point games is the longest since Orlando’s Tracy McGrady had 14 such outings during the 2002-03 campaign. Durant missed a game against Boston on Friday due to a shoulder issue and returned one night later to post 32 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists against the 76ers. “I hate sitting out,” Durant said after the triple-double, “but it was best for me and my shoulder. I guess that day off was needed.” Durant had 30 points and 10 rebounds when Oklahoma City defeated the Hawks in Atlanta on Dec. 10.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Atlanta defeated the Thunder last season in its lone visit to Oklahoma City.
2. Hawks G/F Kyle Korver had three 3-pointers against the Bucks to extend his NBA record of making at least one to 112 straight games.
3. Oklahoma City PF Serge Ibaka has put together back-to-back 20-point outings and has blocked five shots in three of the past four games.