This Saturday night, at State Farm Arena, the Atlanta Hawks will meet the Boston Celtics in a pivotal Eastern Conference showdown.
The latest update for Boston Celtics and Atlanta Hawks Injuries
FOR THE CELTICS
The Celtics have been having trouble finding their rhythm in recent weeks, and with four losses in their last six games, they’ll be hoping to get some momentum by building off of their most recent victory.
The Celtics want to repeat their dominating performance from their lone matchup this season, a 25-point road victory.
The team’s success can be attributed to accurate shooting and stout defense, but this time around, Atlanta will be more prepared for them thanks to the return of some key players.
While the Celtics’ 20-12 record on the road isn’t horrible by any stretch of the imagination, it still leaves a lot to be desired.
Even though the remaining opponents on this road trip aren’t exactly top-tier, Saturday presents a fantastic opportunity to start a winning streak before continuing on the road for another week.
Tatum returned to the lineup for the Celtics after being held out of the lineup for the team’s previous game on Monday in Cleveland, and he promptly had a productive scoring outing.
The star forward did most of his damage from long range, and he now ranks sixth in the NBA with an average of 3.3 three-pointers per game.
Danilo Gallinari (knee) has been out for the entire season for the Celtics, who are also dealing with two other injuries.
Backcourt duo Robert Williams III (hamstring) and Peyton Pritchard (heel) are both expected to miss at least another week.
FOR THE HAWKS
Coming into the weekend with an 18-13 record at home, the team’s strength at home hasn’t been as great as hoped.
The Hawks have won their last two road games, both against the Wizards, and they’ll be riding high into their matchup with the Celtics.
The first meeting with Boston this season was a tough one, but the team is looking to get some payback in the rematch.
The Hawks have been in better physical shape as of late, a factor that will help them in this game.
While the Celtics’ depth has been a problem at times, especially in the frontcourt, the Hawks will be relieved to have their whole roster available.
Even though they’ll need every advantage they can get to keep up with the Celtics, Atlanta’s offense remains one of the most thrilling in the NBA.
It’s no secret that they have defensive issues; they consistently place in the league’s lowest third in defensive statistics.
The three-point line is pretty much the only place where they defend effectively.
To keep his team in the game, Trae Young (26.7 ppg, 10.1 apg) will need some help from the frontcourt players.
They have the depth to pull off the upset, but they’ll need to improve greatly in the area of rebounding (both offensively and defensively) to have any chance of beating Boston.
The Hawks have a full roster and are not nursing any ailments heading into Saturday’s game.
