Hawks at Celtics
The first-place team in the Eastern Conference hosts the last-place squad when the Boston Celtics continue a homestand against the Atlanta Hawks on Friday. Playing without All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving - who is day-to-day with a right quad contusion - the Celtics rolled past New York 103-73 on Wednesday for their second straight victory following a 1-5 swoon.
Terry Rozier stepped in for Irving and recorded a triple-double in his first career start with 17 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists. "It just worked out perfect for me," Rozier told reporters. "I got to knock down some shots in the beginning of the game, hit the open man, I'm always going to get in there and rebound. Just a great night." Irving averaged 32.5 points in two wins over Atlanta earlier this season but the Hawks have taken the last two meetings in Boston. To make it three straight they will have to tighten up their perimeter defense, as Charlotte Hornets All-Star Kemba Walker buried a career-high nine 3-pointers to sink Atlanta 123-110 on Wednesday.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, FS Southeast (Atlanta), NBCS Boston
ABOUT THE HAWKS (15-36): Atlanta tried to keep pace with Walker behind Kent Bazemore (25 points, 3-of-5 from 3-point range) and Marco Belinelli (22, 4-of-7), but leading scorer Dennis Schroder struggled to 13 points - nearly seven below his average - and missed all five of his 3-point tries while wrestling with a sore shoulder. "I don't know how it happened," Schroder told the media. "I'm going to check it with the trainers and see what's going on." After Walker torched the Hawks from beyond the arc, they were ranked 29th in 3-point defense (38 percent).
ABOUT THE CELTICS (37-15): Marcus Morris provided 20 points, five rebounds and two steals in just 19 minutes off the bench against the Knicks but left in the second half after falling hard on a breakaway dunk. "It was my [behind]. It wasn't really my hip, so it's sore. Very sore," Morris said after the game. "I'll go home and ice, see how I feel tomorrow." Morris scored in double figures in nine straight games, one shy of matching the longest such run of his career.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Irving is expected to be re-evaluated Thursday while fellow PG Marcus Smart (hand laceration) has missed four straight games.
2. Schroder scored 23 points in each of the first two meetings.
3. Both teams shoot 36.9 percent from long distance, tied for eighth in the NBA.