Hawks at Bucks
With the visiting Atlanta Hawks locked into the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference and the Milwaukee Bucks assured of the NBA's worst record, Wednesday's regular-season finale might have all the excitement of an October exhibition. Atlanta isn't likely to risk an injury to any of its stars with a series against top-seed Indiana looming, but the reserves might be able to knock off the Bucks. Regardless of the outcome, Milwaukee will finish with the worst record in franchise history.
The Hawks rested three starters — Paul Millsap, Kyle Korver and DeMarre Carroll — in Monday's 95-93 loss to Charlotte, and the other two starters took the final quarter off. "I think when you're in our situation, health and all of those things are a priority," Atlanta coach Mike Budenholzer told reporters. "It was an opportunity to get them a little bit of rest, an opportunity to get guys reps on defense and offense." The Bucks have lost 16 of their last 18, including a 110-100 loss to Toronto on Monday despite the Raptors resting leading scorer DeMar DeRozan.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, SportSouth (Atlanta), FSN Wisconsin (Milwaukee)
ABOUT THE HAWKS (37-44): Atlanta is in the playoffs for the seventh straight season, the longest active streak in the Eastern Conference. The Hawks had won three straight before the short-handed loss to Charlotte, but Budenholzer is likely more concerned about his team's health than maintaining a rhythm. Center Pero Antic was not one of the Hawks who sat out against the Bobcats, but his nagging ankle injury might prompt a night off before the playoffs.
ABOUT THE BUCKS (15-66): Milwaukee had only nine healthy players against Toronto with five players injured and center Larry Sanders suspended. Ramon Sessions has carried the scoring load lately, averaging 20.3 points and six assists over his last four games. Leading scorer Brandon Knight sat out Saturday's loss at Washington with a sore right hip but returned to score 18 points against the Raptors.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Atlanta has won six straight meetings and nine of the last 10 against the Bucks.
2. Sessions has topped 20 points in four straight games — his longest such streak since February 2011.
3. The Hawks have held four straight opponents under 100 points, tying their longest streak of the season.