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Atlanta Hawks Game Preview: Jan. 5 New Orleans Pelicans

By Andrew Snyder

Nov 22, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Terrence Jones (9) goes to the basket between Atlanta Hawks guard Kyle Korver (26) and forward Paul Millsap (4) during the first half at Philips Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 22, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Terrence Jones (9) goes to the basket between Atlanta Hawks guard Kyle Korver (26) and forward Paul Millsap (4) during the first half at Philips Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Atlanta Hawks head to New Orleans to tangle with the Pelicans on Thursday night. Do they have what it takes to win again on the road?

The Atlanta Hawks got a road win last night against the Orlando Magic. There’s no rest for the weary. Tonight they travel to New Orleans to face off against the Pelicans. The last time these teams played, it didn’t go well for the Hawks.

In Phillips Arena, the Pelicans defeated Atlanta 112-94. It wasn’t pretty. As was the case in many Hawks losses, their opponent shot a high percentage from three-point range. New Orleans shot 11-for-25 (44 percent) from distance and 52.3 percent overall.

Tim Frazier led them in scoring, finishing the game with 21 points and 14 assists on 7-for-12 shooting. He also made three three-pointers out of four attempts. Anthony Davis was held in check, finishing with 13 points on 6-for-12 shooting from the field. It didn’t matter. The Pelicans still controlled the game.

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Getting down early is what doomed the Hawks in that first match-up. The Pelicans led by 20 at the end of the first quarter, never relinquishing that lead. At one point in the third quarter, that lead had grown to 35 points. That’s not what the doctor ordered.

A few Hawks played well. Malcolm Delaney, Tim Hardaway Jr., and Taurean Prince each scored 10 points. Dennis Schroder had 14 points and seven assists. Kyle Korver scored 14 points on 5-for-6 shooting. Other than that, there wasn’t much to celebrate.

It wasn’t all bad. On the sidelines Gucci Mane proposed to his girlfriend, who said yes. They found love in a hopeless place. Truly inspirational. Burr, indeed.

This game was all the way back on Nov. 22. Things have changed for both teams.

The Pelicans haven’t been very good this season. Their record is 14-22, but they are still in the playoff hunt in the Western Conference. The bottom of the Western Conference is rough. Anyway, early season injuries and Jrue Holiday being away from the team to care for his wife caused them to get off to a slow start.

With Holiday in the lineup, they have a 12-9 record. So, their poor record is a bit deceiving. When they’re whole, they’re mediocre rather than bad. They do have Anthony Davis, which means they always have a chance.

If Davis were playing on a contender he’d probably be getting MVP consideration. He’s been tremendous. Davis is averaging 28.9 points and 11.8 rebounds per game on 49.1 percent shooting. The problem is, he doesn’t have much help. The closest player to him in per game scoring average is Holiday at 14.4 points per game. Names like Terrance Jones, Tim Frazier, and E’Twaun Moore don’t exactly strike fear into the heart of their opponents.

Because of this lack of firepower, their overall offensive performance has suffered. They have the 29th ranked offense in the NBA, scoring 102.8 points per 100 possession. Defensively they’re solid. They allow just 106.1 points per 100 possessions, good enough for the 9th best defensive rating in the NBA.

Daily Fantasy Basketball Projections by numberFire

As you may have noticed, the key to this game is relatively simple; defend the three-point line and find a way to stop Anthony Davis. That’s easier said than done. Davis presents match-up problems for almost every team in the league. Not everyone has 6-foot-11 big men than dribble and shoot like a guard.

It will be interesting to see if Mike Budenholzer elects to have Paul Millsap guard Davis, or if he allows Dwight Howard to cover him. I’d guess Millsap, though recently the Pelicans have been starting Davis has the nominal center next to Dante Cunningham. This could get interesting.

The projections from numberFire gives the edge to New Orleans. I suppose they get a bump because they have the best player on the court and are playing at home. Still, the Hawks are hot. They”ll be tough to beat.

Can Atlanta stretch their winning streak to five games?

Next: Does Wesley Matthews Make Sense For The Hawks?

Who: Atlanta Hawks (19-16) @ New Orleans Pelicans (14-22)

When: 8:00 PM EST, Thursday, January 5th, 2017

Where: Smoothie King Center 

How: FOX Sports Southeast 

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