The Atlanta Hawks' steady slide is coming to a head, and they desperately need a win over the visiting Chicago Bulls on Wednesday try to hang onto the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Atlanta snapped a six-game skid by beating lowly Philadelphia on Monday to maintain its one-game edge over New York for eighth place. While the Hawks are just trying to hang on, the Bulls are trying to get a foothold for a climb to the No. 3 seed, for which they're tied with Toronto with eight games left.
The Hawks have been on the decline, understandably, since losing All-Star big man Al Horford in December, and sharpshooter Kyle Korver admits they're looking over their shoulders at the Knicks. "I know who's playing who, I know who they're playing next," Korver told reporters. "We're supposed to focus on ourselves, but I'm looking at everything. … We all know what's on the line." The stakes aren't as high for the Bulls, but claiming the No. 3 seed would prevent them from having to face the top seed until the conference finals.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, CSN Chicago, SportSouth (Atlanta)
ABOUT THE BULLS (42-32): Chicago is coming off a home-and-home sweep of Boston and has won four of its last five. Center Joakim Noah (12.5 points, 11.1 rebounds, 5.2 assists) has been the catalyst for the Bulls' second-half surge, and the versatile big man has recorded three straight double-doubles. Veteran small forward Mike Dunleavy has been outstanding against the Hawks this season, averaging 19 points and leading the team in scoring in two of the three meetings.
ABOUT THE HAWKS (32-41): Even if Atlanta can hang onto its playoff spot, it's probably just delaying the inevitable. The Hawks haven't had much offensive punch of late and have been subpar at the defensive end, though they have been hurt by injuries and are inching closer to full strength. Having Korver back from a back injury gives Atlanta another outside shooting threat, which opens up the paint for All-Star Paul Millsap (17.9 points, 8.2 rebounds).
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Bulls have won five straight meetings including all three this season, beating the Hawks by an average margin of 16.4 points during the streak.
2. Atlanta has grabbed 10 or more offensive rebounds in three straight games, tied for its longest streak of the season.
3. Chicago is 36-4 when leading after three quarters, including a 15-1 mark on the road.