Hawks at Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are coming off a win against the NBA’s first 50-loss team this season, and on Wednesday they will host the league’s first 50-win team when they host the Atlanta Hawks. Denver has won three of five overall and has scored in triple digits in all five. The Hawks rested three starters last weekend and paid the price in a loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, so they regrouped Monday and made a franchise-record 20 3-pointers and scored a season-high 130 points against the Sacramento Kings.
This will be the start of a season-high six-game road trip for Atlanta, which is 20-9 away from Philips Arena this season but somewhat vulnerable lately, losing at Philadelphia on Saturday and at the Boston Celtics last month. Denver usually boasts a strong homecourt advantage because visiting teams must deal with the effects of high altitude, but the Nuggets have lost 11 of their last 13 at Pepsi Center. Denver could also be shorthanded as third-leading scorer Wilson Chandler (13.9) left Monday’s game against the New York Knicks with a sore knee and is listed as questionable.
TV: 9 p.m. ET, SportSouth (Atlanta), Altitude (Denver)
ABOUT THE HAWKS (50-13): Kyle Korver bounced back from a post-All Star break shooting slump to make 6-of-8 from 3-point range in the win against the Kings. He’s two 3s from tying Kobe Bryant for 12th on the NBA's all-time career list and may have to work a little harder to get free against a Denver defense that comes in 10th in the NBA in opponent 3-point field-goal percentage (34.2). Korver also needs five more 3s to move past himself for the fourth and fifth-most 3s for a season in franchise history.
ABOUT THE NUGGETS (23-41): Ty Lawson is set to appear in his 62nd game this season, which would match his total from last season, and appears on course to make the most starts of his six-year career. Despite the team struggles and some bad judgment by himself off the court, Lawson has remained consistent throughout the season while averaging 16 points and 9.8 assists, which betters his career averages of 14.3 and 6.5. He should also be fired up to play well against the Hawks after having one of his worst games against them earlier this season, shooting 1-for-10 and scoring four points in a 96-84 loss on Dec. 7.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Atlanta PG Jeff Teague has reached double figures in scoring in a career-best 33 straight games.
2. Atlanta backup PG Dennis Schroder is shooting 53.8 percent from 3-point range in the last nine games to raise his season mark to 35.7.
3. The Nuggets have won seven straight at home against the Hawks.