Hawks at Nets
A six-game winning streak meets a six-game slide when the Atlanta Hawks visit the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday. The Hawks seemed to announce the start of a sell-off by shipping Kyle Korver away but are thriving behind a defense holding opponents to an average of 96 points over the last six contests.
Atlanta is trying to complete a sweep of a four-game road trip and was fortunate enough to get all four opponents with losing records on the excursion. The Hawks, who will play seven of their final 10 games this month at home, knocked Dallas into the Western Conference basement with a 97-82 triumph on Saturday in which they held the Mavericks to 39 percent from the field. Brooklyn missed a good opportunity to snap its funk and begin a climb out of the Eastern Conference basement when they dropped a 105-95 decision to the lowly Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday. "We have to do a better job ... just executing our offense better and making better decisions," Nets coach Kenny Atkinson told reporters after the loss. "It’s a little disappointing because I felt like our defense gave us a chance."
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, FSN Southeast (Atlanta), YES (Brooklyn)
ABOUT THE HAWKS (21-16): Korver became expendable in part due to the emergence of shooting guard Tim Hardaway, who is averaging over 22 minutes but figures to take on a larger role. Hardaway logged 31 minutes off the bench on Sunday and did his best Korver impression by going 5-of-8 from 3-point range en route to 22 points. The 24-year-old Michigan product is averaging 19.3 points on 59.6 percent shooting in the last four games and is 17-of-26 from 3-point range in that span.
ABOUT THE NETS (8-28): Brooklyn is still without point guard Jeremy Lin, and his replacements are struggling to ignite the offense without turning the ball over. Isaiah Whitehead took his turn as the starting point guard on Sunday instead of Spencer Dinwiddie or Sean Kilpatrick and committed six of the team's 22 turnovers. "It’s just errors, just bonehead plays, just not being myself when I have the ball, not being careful," Whitehead told reporters. "... It’s tough to go from off the bench to starting and starting to off the bench because it’s two different feels of the game. Once I learn how to do both, I think I’ll do better at both of them."
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Nets reserve C Justin Hamilton is 8-of-14 from 3-point range in the last four games.
2. Hawks C Dwight Howard posted his fourth 20-rebound game of the season on Saturday and logged his third straight double-double.
3. Atlanta took two of the three meetings last season but lost 90-88 in its lone trip to Brooklyn.