Suns at Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are stumbling in the wrong direction and attempt to halt a seven-game losing streak when they host the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday. Atlanta's free fall has seen it drop into a three-way tie for fifth place in the Eastern Conference, but Phoenix also is struggling and lost eight consecutive contests.
The Hawks suffered a 107-92 home loss to the Brooklyn Nets - the worst team in the NBA - on Sunday while missing three key players and center Dwight Howard dropped hints about dissension. "We have to fight for each other," Howard told reporters. "Can't allow the enemy to be ourselves, the enemy has to be the other team." Phoenix guard Devin Booker was the talk of the NBA with Friday's 70-point effort against the Boston Celtics but tallied just 23 in Sunday's 120-106 loss to the Charlotte Hornets. "I expect it to be hard from here on out and we're all going to learn from this as a young group," Booker told reporters. "At the end of the day, I think it's going to be good for us."
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, FSN Arizona (Phoenix), FSN Southeast (Atlanta)
ABOUT THE SUNS (22-52): Charlotte paid heavy attention to Booker and the second-year pro was 7-of-17 shooting against the Hornets. "We knew Devin is going to play well pretty much almost every game," Phoenix coach Earl Watson told reporters. "It wasn't waiting to see how he responded to last game. He had 70 the previous game, but I doubted he could get 70 back-to-back." Booker is averaging 24.7 points with seven 20-point outings in March.
ABOUT THE HAWKS (37-36): Forward Paul Millsap will miss his sixth consecutive game with a left knee injury and the concern is growing. Millsap recently underwent an MRI exam that didn't display anything troublesome and coach Mike Budenholzer said the club is "just continuing to monitor him and (having Millsap) rehab and hope for the best." Swingman Kent Bazemore (right knee bruise) will sit out his fifth straight game and forward Thabo Sefolosha (groin) will miss his second in a row.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Suns registered a 109-107 home win over the Hawks on Nov. 30, 2016 for their ninth victory in the past 14 meetings.
2. Howard recorded 19 points and 16 rebounds against the Nets for his 15th consecutive double-digit rebounding game.
3. Phoenix SF TJ Warren posted 21 points and 10 rebounds against Charlotte for his third double-double of the season.