Nets at Hawks
The Brooklyn Nets visit the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday in a possible preview of the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. The Hawks locked up the top seed in the East last week while the Nets are among a group of teams fighting over the Nos. 7 and 8 spots.
The Nets outlasted the Toronto Raptors 114-109 on Friday behind a combined 61 points from Brook Lopez and Deron Williams. Brooklyn has won six in a row to pull into seventh place, one game ahead of the Miami Heat and 1 1/2 clear of ninth-place Boston. The Hawks are just coasting through the final weeks of the regular season and have dropped five of their last eight games, including a 105-95 setback at Detroit on Tuesday. “We have to get our mojo back," forward DeMarre Carroll told the Gainesville Times. “We're not taking any games for granted. Each time we step on the floor, we're just trying to keep jelling and keep our rhythm.”
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, YES (Brooklyn), SportSouth (Atlanta)
ABOUT THE NETS (35-40): Lopez and Williams have taken it upon themselves to ensure that Brooklyn will make the playoffs, and the two veterans are putting the team on their shoulders. Lopez collected 30 points and 17 rebounds on Friday and is averaging 27.2 points and 10.1 rebounds as the Nets have gone 8-1 in the last nine games. Williams’ rise has been more recent, with the point guard putting up 28.5 points and nine assists in the last two contests while going 9-of-14 from 3-point range.
ABOUT THE HAWKS (56-19): Atlanta’s biggest worry over the last week-plus of the regular season is making sure the roster gets to the playoffs healthy while figuring out a way to mix rest and rhythm. “We need to find a way to keep our own edge, our own focus," Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer told reporters. “If we can do that and stay healthy, it's going to be a great couple of weeks.” Atlanta has been giving its starters ample rest but the bench has taken a hit with both Mike Scott and Dennis Schroder dealing with toe injuries.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Hawks took the first two meetings this season by a combined 34 points.
2. Nets G Alan Anderson left Friday’s game in the fourth quarter with an apparent left ankle injury.
3. Atlanta PG Jeff Teague failed to score in double figures in either of the last two games while working his way back from an ankle injury.