Hawks at Lakers
With 21 games remaining in the NBA season, the Atlanta Hawks sit almost the same distance from a division title as they do from missing the playoffs. Atlanta plays Friday at the Los Angeles Lakers, and while the Hawks trail Miami by just 1 1/2 games in the Southeast Division, last season’s Eastern Conference regular-season champion sits only 2 1/2 games ahead of two team tied for ninth.
The Hawks nearly upset defending NBA champion Golden State in the opener of a four-game road trip Tuesday, losing 109-105 in overtime to fall for the sixth time in 10 games as Paul Millsap fueled a rally from 14 points down with 19 points. The Lakers have dropped nine of their past 10 and sit last in the Western Conference, and injuries are piling up for several players, including the soon-to-be retired Kobe Bryant. “As much as I can get out there and play, I’ll get out there and play,” Bryant told reporters after playing just 11 minutes with a sore right shoulder in Wednesday’s 117-107 loss at Denver. Starting guard Jordan Clarkson strained his left knee Wednesday and did not return.
TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN, FSN Southeast (Atlanta), Time Warner Cable SportsNet (Los Angeles)
ABOUT THE HAWKS (33-28): Atlanta battled hard against the Steph Curry-less Warriors in the road trip opener, and coach Mike Budenholzer described the difference to reporters as, “they made a couple of tough shots, crazy shots, and offensively we didn’t get quite enough to go down for us.” The Hawks hope newly signed forward Kris Humphries, who is expected to make his Atlanta debut on Friday, can add depth to the front line. The Hawks have struggled offensively at times despite a solid season from Millsap and Al Horford, but defensively Atlanta ranks seventh entering Thursday’s play in points allowed (99.8) and third in forcing turnovers (15.8).
ABOUT THE LAKERS (12-50): Bryant leads Los Angeles in scoring at 16.8 points but is shooting 35.1 percent from the field and has missed 12 games due to injury. Los Angeles already is without Larry Nance Jr. (right knee) and Lou Williams (left hamstring) and hopes for good news on Clarkson, who has averaged 17.3 points during his past 10 games. Rookie guard D’Angelo Russell scored 24 points on Wednesday and is averaging 26.8 points in his past four games, including scoring 39 in Tuesday’s 107-101 victory over Brooklyn.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Los Angeles allowed 27 fast-break points against Denver, leading coach Byron Scott to describe his team’s transition defense as “terrible.”
2. Millsap averages team highs in points (17.5) and rebounds (8.6), while Horford is shooting 50.6 percent from the field and averaging 15.4 points.
3. The Hawks held off the Lakers in the teams’ first matchup of the season on Dec. 4 in Atlanta, with Horford scoring 16 points while Williams led the Lakers with 18 and Bryant added 14.