Suns Host Hawks as Atlanta Looks to Get Back on Track

Tue, Mar 30, 2021
By Jim Vassallo (Veri.bet Writer)

The Phoenix Suns (31-14, 15-8 home) host the Atlanta Hawks (23-23, 12-14 away) on Tuesday, March 30, at 10 PM ET.

Phoenix has won two in a row and leads the Pacific Division by a half-game over the Los Angeles Clippers.

Atlanta comes into tonight following a loss and is now a half-game behind the Charlotte Hornets for the top spot in the Southeast Division.

Even though both teams are at the top of their respective divisions, they are completely different organizations. Phoenix is in second place in the Western Conference, 3.5 games behind the Utah Jazz. Atlanta is sixth in the Eastern Conference, nine games behind the Philadelphia 76ers.

Both teams have played to 7-3 records in their last 10 games. This is the first meeting between the Suns and the Hawks in a short, two-game regular-season series.

The Hawks are coming off a 126-102 loss to the Denver Nuggets. Entering the game, the Hawks had won nine of their last 11 games.

Trae Young scored 21 points and Danilo Gallinari had 14 points for Atlanta.

"Early in the game we got distracted by that and we didn't make adjustments appropriately and they pretty much controlled the game from start to finish," Atlanta interim head coach Nate McMillan said.

"We knew it was going to be a tough game," Young said. "It's disappointing losing the way we did and by how much but they're a deep team, and then adding Aaron made them an even better team."

The Suns recently took down the Charlotte Hornets 101-97. Devin Booker poured in 35 points in the overtime victory for Phoenix.

"I think both teams wish they made more shots, but there are some games like that," Booker said. "It was a real high-intensity game and we had our chance to make an all right trip into a good trip and we did that."

Phoenix head coach Monty Williams had a lot to say about the defensive play of both teams following the game:

"Defensively, (Mikal Bridges') contests are some of the best in the league at his position after a screen. He has the length and ability to stay in a play. Graham got going and we needed somebody to get their hand up and make it tough on him and that is what Mikal does. He has a knack for making plays."

The Suns are a league-best 16-6 on the road this season.

"It's (about) staying poised," said Mikal Bridges, whose team has the NBA's best road record at 16-6. "Going on the road and playing just for us – you got some crowd there, but it's usually just us. It's that road attitude. I feel like playing on the road is a lot more fun because you know everybody is going against you."

The injury list is light for tonight's game:

Suns: Abdel Nader: day-to-day (knee)
Hawks: Lou Williams: out (not with the team), De'Andre Hunter: day-to-day (knee), Kris Dunn: out (ankle), Cameron Reddish: out (achilles)

The Suns are -6.5 favorites tonight against the Hawks and for good reason. There doesn't seem to be any reason why the Hawks would win this game on the road. Your best bet is to take the Suns to win outright at -6.5 when you place a wager on NBA action Tuesday night.