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 Finishing third would allow Chicago to take on Milwaukee in the
first round as opposed to Washington - which knocked the Bulls out
of the playoffs last season - but it also might set up a
second-round encounter with Cleveland. Chicago certainly played as
if it sought a higher seed when it dismantled Brooklyn 113-86 on
Monday to clinch at least the fourth seed in the East. Meanwhile,
the Hawks - who long ago clinched the No. 1 seed - were stunned at
home by the lowly New York Knicks despite giving their healthy
starters plenty of minutes. With little else to play for but a
tune-up on Wednesday, Atlanta may choose to sit leading scorer and
rebounder Paul Millsap (shoulder) for the sixth straight time.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, SportSouth (Atlanta), CSN Chicago
ABOUT THE HAWKS (60-21): The home loss to the 17-win Knicks may
serve as a wake-up call for Atlanta, which offered little resistance
on the defensive end against one of the league's lowest-scoring
units. "That was the whole theme of the game," said point guard Jeff
Teague, one of six Hawks in double figures with 19 points. "We were
just not into it." The intensity may go back up a bit against the
Bulls, a potential second-round opponent that has won 14 of the last
18 meetings in Chicago.
ABOUT THE BULLS (49-32): Given the fact that the Nets were fighting
for their playoff lives, a 27-point win in Brooklyn speaks volumes
for Chicago's playoff readiness. The contest also served as a
slump-buster for top reserve Nikola Mirotic, who scored 26 points in
24 minutes after a six-game stretch in which he averaged 9.7 points
on 30.2 percent shooting. Center Joakim Noah, who is bothered by
hamstring issues, sat out the win in Brooklyn.
[to top of second column] |
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Hawks SG Kyle Korver made 7-of-9 3-pointers en route to 24 points
in a 107-99 win at Chicago on Jan. 17.
2. Bulls PF Taj Gibson is averaging 14.3 points - nearly four more
than his season average - on 62.2 percent shooting in a four-game
span.
3. Atlanta PG Dennis Schroder was held out of the loss to the Knicks
in order to rest.
PREDICTION: Bulls 105, Hawks 99
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