Hawks at Nuggets
The Atlanta Hawks have lost each of their last eight visits to Denver
and aim to halt the dubious streak when they close a four-game road trip
against the Nuggets on Monday. Atlanta hopes to have star power forward
Paul Millsap back in the lineup after he missed Saturday's 98-95 loss
to Phoenix to attend his grandfather's funeral.
The loss to the lowly Suns was the second straight for Atlanta and the low point of a stretch in which the Hawks have dropped four of the last seven games. "We aren't making enough plays from the start of the game to the end of the game and understanding what's important," Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer told reporters. "We constantly have to dig ourselves out and come back." Denver is coming off a 104-101 victory over the Detroit Pistons as small forward Danilo Gallinari continued his strong play with 30 points. Gallinari is averaging 24.1 points in January with nine efforts of 20 or more points.
TV: 9 p.m. ET, FSN Southeast (Atlanta), Altitude (Denver)
ABOUT THE HAWKS (26-19): Atlanta didn't take the Suns seriously and found themselves in a battle it lost when Phoenix guard Archie Goodwin drained a game-winning 3-pointer with 0.1 seconds left. Not having Millsap hurt, but too many other players weren't on their game and that led to a frustrated locker room. "Our team is either going to learn a lesson or we're not," shooting guard Kyle Korver said afterward. "We are going to decide to be a great basketball team and play with the effort and attention to detail that we are capable of or we're not. If we are not, we will keep on hanging in the middle of the pack. If we do, we are going to be a really good team."
ABOUT THE NUGGETS (17-27): Power forward Kenneth Faried missed Saturday's game with a groin injury and fears he might have to sit out more time. "When something doesn't enable me to run and jump and do what I do, then it's a significant injury," Faried told reporters. "So I'm kind of nervous. But everybody says it's going to be OK, that it will just keep getting better, and to keep stretching it." Faried isn't the only ailing Denver player as point guard Jameer Nelson (wrist) will likely miss his fifth straight game.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The teams split two meetings last season - with the home team winning by double digits on each occasion.
2. Atlanta PG Jeff Teague is 12-of-37 from the field over the past three games.
3. Denver backup SF Will Barton is shooting just 34.4 percent from the field in January.