Atlanta Hawks (36-21) Milwaukee Bucks (30-28) Game Preview

The Bucks come into this game red hot winners of six in a row and have positioned themselves currently in the seventh spot in the Eastern Conference. The John Salmons trade has reaped big returns for the Bucks as he has stabilized the shooting guard spot in their starting lineup. This will be my first look at Brandon Jennings whose play has slowed of late but is still in the discussion for rookie of the year.

I don’t want to put too much meaning on a February game against the Bucks for the Hawks but this is a game that the home team needs to win. Especially following up Friday night’s loss to the Mavericks.

I won’t rehash all of the basketball things that the Hawks need to do to win this game but one key component will be controlling Andrew Bogut. He is a big player with size who has played really well this season for the Bucks. The Hawks Al Horford and Josh Smith will need to use their athleticism against him. Joe Johnson has repeatedly attacked John Salmons when he was in Chicago and I am not expecting anything different today. It also would be nice to see Jamal Crawford break out of his shooting slump and have a more efficient game. He really hasn’t played well since the All Star Break.

The game is at 6:00 PM today at Phillips Arena. A Hawks win would move them back in front of Boston and into sole possession of third place in the Eastern Conference.