Preview: Bulls at Hawks

[November 09, 2016]  After posting a statement win over the defending NBA champions, the Atlanta Hawks look to take down another Eastern Conference heavyweight when they host the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday. Behind a career-high 28 points from Dennis Schroder and 25 more from Kent Bazemore, the Hawks recorded a 110-106 victory in Cleveland on Tuesday, handing the mighty Cavaliers their first loss of the season.

They now get a shot at an inconsistent Bulls squad that lost all four meetings in 2015-16, including a pair of 15-point setbacks in Atlanta. Chicago was able to snap a three-game slide with a 112-80 rout of Orlando on Monday, as it discovered a defensive toughness that seemed to be lacking. "We scored the ball decently well," Jimmy Butler told reporters after scoring a team-high 20 points. "But whenever we're guarding, we make the game a lot easier for ourselves." Opponents produced an average of 111.7 points during the Bulls' skid, but Butler's crew held Orlando to 38.8 percent shooting and won the battle of the boards by a 62-44 margin.

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, CSN Chicago, FSN Southeast (Atlanta)

ABOUT THE BULLS (4-3): Butler hit all of his 10 foul shots versus Orlando as Chicago finished 25-of-31 from the line. The Bulls entered Tuesday tied for fourth in the NBA with 21.1 made free throws per game, and both Butler and Dwyane Wade were flirting with a 90 percent success rate. Reserve forward Doug McDermott has scored in double figures in four of his last five games while shooting 54.5 percent.

ABOUT THE HAWKS (5-2): Schroder has looked quite worthy of the four-year, $70-million contract he signed this offseason and has stepped up his offensive game in the past week. He is averaging 21.7 points and seven assists in his last three games and has buried 5-of-11 3-pointers over his last two. Sharpshooter Kyle Korver missed Tuesday's win for the birth of his third child but is expected to return to face Chicago.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Hawks F Paul Millsap recorded 21 points against Cleveland and 23 in the previous game versus Houston.

2. Wade is shooting 31.4 percent on the road, compared to 52.6 at home.

3. Wednesday marks the start of a stretch in which the Bulls play eight of nine on the road.

PREDICTION: Bulls 105, Hawks 104

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