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Atlanta Hawks: The 5 biggest home games before Christmas

By Joshua Buckhalter

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JANUARY 01: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) Kevin Durant #7 of the Brooklyn Nets in action against De'Andre Hunter #12 of the Atlanta Hawks at Barclays Center on January 01, 2021 in New York City. The Hawks defeated the Nets 114-96. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JANUARY 01: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) Kevin Durant #7 of the Brooklyn Nets in action against De'Andre Hunter #12 of the Atlanta Hawks at Barclays Center on January 01, 2021 in New York City. The Hawks defeated the Nets 114-96. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) /
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Atlanta Hawks
Atlanta Hawks (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /

Atlanta Hawks must-see home game No. 4: Fri, Dec 10 vs. Brooklyn Nets

The last time the Hawks went up against the Brooklyn Nets it took overtime for the team they almost faced in the Eastern Conference Finals to get the win. The 132-128 defeat came at the beginning of a stretch in February where the Hawks won just two of their next nine games. Lloyd Pierce was dismissed on March 1.

That was just one of two losses, both under Pierce. The Hawks lone win was also the lowest-scoring affair between the two teams and came two weeks before they traded for James Harden.

Nearly every starter was healthy for that game; one of the rare times even that was true last season. Atlanta was without Bogdanovic and Brooklyn Spencer Dinwiddie.

Regardless, it’s going to be a tough assignment going up against the team that the East presumably runs through when all of their guys are healthy. That has been a major issue for them though as they have dealt with both injury and load-management taking their top players off of the court.

Young averaged 26.3 points and 10.7 assists in those three games, including dropping a 28-point, 14-assist line in that overtime loss. John Collins had 21 points and eight boards while both Hunter and Reddish chipped in with 20-plus.

Brooklyn, however, got 30-plus out of Durant and Harden (who added 15 assists) plus another 26 points from Kyrie Irving. It was also one of the rare games with all of Brooklyn’s big three.

Defense might be optional whenever these two teams meet up.

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