Both Atlanta and Phoenix stayed quiet at the NBA’s trade deadline, meaning the Hawks feel pretty good about their chances in the East as they are and that Phoenix will keep Amare Stoudemire at least through this season.
It wouldn’t appear that either team really has NBA title aspirations, but both could certainly make it all the way to the conference finals with the right breaks. Phoenix is a 3.5-point favorite for tonight’s game, which should be very fast paced and entertaining.
Atlanta enters on a two-game road winning streak, with the most recent a 110-92 win over the Clippers on Wednesday. Al Horford scored a career-high 31 in that one, as Atlanta won its fourth in five games overall. Atlanta had lost its first game following the All-Star break in each of the past seven seasons.
The Hawks had two All-Stars this year in guard Joe Johnson (21.5 points, 4.6 assists and 4.6 rebounds) and Horford (13.7 points and 7.3 rebounds). Sixth man Jamal Crawford averages 17.7 points per game and beat Phoenix with a 28-foot buzzer shot Jan.15 to complete a rally from four points down with 10 seconds to go. Horford had 24 points and nine boards in the first meeting.
Phoenix is back home after a two-game road trip, in which the Suns went 1-1. Phoenix lost 107-97 on Wednesday in Dallas. The Suns, who lead the NBA in scoring at more than 110 points per game, were held under 100 for only the seventh time this season. Stoudemire has scored at least 20 points in eight straight games for Phoenix; he has averaged 26.6 points and 11.7 rebounds over his last seven games.. Stoudemire had 28 and 14 in the first meeting with Atlanta.
The Hawks are looking for their first two-game sweep of Phoenix since the 1991-92 season, but they have dropped two in a row in Phoenix, which has won 14 of 16 in the desert against the Hawks.
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