The Atlanta Hawks will continue to search for their identity and end a three-game losing streak on Wednesday when they host the Brooklyn Nets in the second half of a back-to-back.
The Hawks blew a 20-point lead to the Indiana Pacers and lost 157-152 on Tuesday night, even though they set a franchise record with 86 points in the first half. Atlanta has lost four straight at home and has been eliminated from the NBA in-season tournament.
The Nets have dropped two straight and are coming off a 121-99 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday.
This will be the first of three meetings between the clubs this season. The Nets won three of the four contests last season, with Atlanta’s lone victory coming on Trae Young’s buzzer-beater.
A good sign on Tuesday was the offensive effort of Young, who arrived at the arena early to work on his perimeter shot. Young scored 38 points, his second-most points scored this season, and was 5-for-8 on 3-pointers. Young entered the game shooting only 28.2 percent on treys.
Young has also made a concerted effort to improve his defense. On Tuesday, he drew a charge and had three steals.
Brooklyn’s Mikal Bridges averages 20.3 points, along with 5.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists. Bridges averaged 29.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 4.3 assists in three games against Atlanta last season. He scored 42 against the Hawks on March 31, 2023.
The Nets got a season-high 26 points from reserve Lonnie Walker IV in the loss to Philadelphia. But Walker said the effort was negated by the loss.
The Nets must guard against another late run like they did against the Sixers just before the half.
After Wednesday’s game, the Nets return home to begin a five-game homestand against Miami on Saturday. The Hawks begin a five-game road trip at Washington on Saturday.
