The Eastern Conference’s top team will be on the road when the Atlanta Hawks (50-14) head to the US Airways Center to face the Phoenix Suns (34-32). Action begins at 10:00 pm ET on Friday, Mar. 13 and can be seen on SPSO and FSN-AZ.
The Suns played well in their last game, topping the Timberwolves 106-97 on Wednesday. Markieff Morris was the game’s leading scorer with 24 points on 10-for-15 shooting. The Hawks, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after the 115-102 loss against the Nuggets on Wednesday. Kyle Korver led the team in scoring with 18 points.
The odds for Phoenix and Atlanta are even, while the Over/Under (O/U) is unavailable as of now. The Suns have gone 34-32 Straight Up (SU) and 34-29-3 Against The Spread (ATS). They are 17-10 SU and 18-9 ATS against the Eastern Conference. Phoenix is one of the league’s top scoring teams off turnovers with an average of 18.3 points per game.
In the other locker room, the Hawks have a record of 40-24 ATS and 50-14 SU. Against the Western Conference, Atlanta is 18-5 SU and 16-7 ATS. The Hawks convert their shots at a high percentage, ranking third in the league at .467. The Hawks are the better of the two teams when it comes to assist-to-turnover ratio, ranking second in the NBA at 1.9. Moving on to Atlanta’s defense, teams with weak ball handling have not fared well against the Hawks, who rank fifth in the league with 8.8 steals per game. One advantage for the Hawks could be Phoenix’s high fouls per game average of 22.1.
These two meet for what will be their first head-to-head battle of the season. Phoenix won the last game in the matchup, bumping its SU record to 7-3 over the Hawks in their last 10 meetings. With an 8-2 record, the Suns also have the advantage ATS. Phoenix held the advantage in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers three times in the last 10 matchups. On the other side of the court, Atlanta never accomplished this feat in that span.
Predictions: SU Winner – ATL, ATS Winner – ATL
Notes
Atlanta ranks eighth in points per game with 102.8, while Phoenix ranks 27th in points allowed with an average of 104.6 given up.
Phoenix ranks 29th in points allowed per home game (103.6 PPG), while Atlanta ranks eighth in points per away game with 102.3.
When allowing fewer than 100 points, the Hawks are 36-4 on the season. When the Suns score fewer than 100, they are an underachieving 4-17.
When the Atlanta Hawks allow at least 100 points they are 14-10, while the Phoenix Suns are 30-15 when they reach the century mark.
The Suns have a defensive rating of 103.8 (ranked 20th), while the Hawks rank sixth for their offensive rating of 106.5.
The Atlanta Hawks have one of the best field goal percentages this season, ranking third in the league with a FG% of 46.7%. When their opponents record a similar or higher FG%, the Phoenix Suns have a losing 7-14 record.
The Phoenix Suns average 26.0 three point attempts per game and are 20-24 when attempting at least 25 in a game. The Atlanta Hawks average 26.1 attempts and have a superb record (31-9) when attempting 25 or more.
The second-ranked team, Atlanta has an assist to turnover ratio of 1.88 this season. Phoenix ranks lower at 27th with an A/TO of 1.40.
Atlanta ranks 28th in rebounds per game with 40.9, while Phoenix ranks 18th with 43.0.
Phoenix is ranked 17th in defensive rebounds, while Atlanta ranks 30th in offensive rebounds.
On average, the Suns force a turnover rate of 15.2%, ranked ninth in the NBA. When the Hawks turn over the ball at a similar or higher rate, the team has a solid 16-7 record.
