Game Preview: Sacramento Kings at Atlanta Hawks

Nov 18, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Dennis Schroder (17) attempts a shot against Sacramento Kings forward DeMarcus Cousins (15) in the fourth quarter of their game at Philips Arena. The Hawks won 103-97. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 18, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Dennis Schroder (17) attempts a shot against Sacramento Kings forward DeMarcus Cousins (15) in the fourth quarter of their game at Philips Arena. The Hawks won 103-97. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports
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The Atlanta Hawks will look to continue their winning ways as they host the Sacramento Kings on Monday Night.

Oct 27, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Tim Hardaway Jr. (10) shoots and scores a basket against the Washington Wizards during the second half at Philips Arena. The Hawks defeated the Wizards 114-99. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 27, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Tim Hardaway Jr. (10) shoots and scores a basket against the Washington Wizards during the second half at Philips Arena. The Hawks defeated the Wizards 114-99. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

The Atlanta Hawks head into their third game of the regular season with a 2-0 record. They’ll host the Sacramento Kings, who enter the game with a record of 2-1. The two teams face off Monday night with tip-off set for 7:30pm EST.

The Hawks have looked very impressive in their first two games with suffocating defense and plenty of unselfish plays offensively. Prior to the season, there was concerns buzzing that the addition of Dwight Howard and the loss of Al Horford would mean for more stagnant ball-movement. As it has shown thus far, that’s far from the case.

The Hawks have been a top defensive team ever since Mike Budenholzer took over as head coach. The addition of Howard in that department, was a major upgrade for the shot-blocking and rebounding categories. So far, he has lived up to the hype averaging 13 rebounds and three blocks per game.

It’s still very early in the season, but this game can be intriguing when looking at specific match-ups.

Let’s take a look at some keys to the game for the Hawks.