[8:00 PM] Hawks @ Jazz

Who will WIN this matchup?

Atlanta Hawks (10-5)

@ Utah Jazz (8-8)

 

• George Hill was sidelined with a sprained right thumb and Utah’s level of play dropped substantially, but it was back on the upswing Wednesday, when Hill scored 22 points in a 108-83 rout of the Denver Nuggets.

• Atlanta opened a five-game road trip on Wednesday with a 96-85 victory over the Indiana Pacers in a dominating physical effort that halted a three-game slide. Center Dwight Howard produced season highs of 23 points and 20 rebounds as Atlanta held a 56-37 rebounding edge and turned 17 offensive boards into 19 second-chance points.

• Howard is off to a stellar start with Atlanta and posted 11 double-doubles while averaging 14.8 points and 13.3 rebounds. The 30-year-old was unhappy in Houston last season in his third campaign with the Rockets and is playing with a higher intensity level with the Hawks

• Utah missed badly when it selected Trey Burke in the first round of the 2013 NBA draft and felt it had landed a point guard for the next decade. The Jazz dealt Burke to the Washington Wizards in the offseason and acquired Hill from the Indiana Pacers as they coveted a steady player who could bring poise and stability to the position.

• The Hawks won nine of the past 10 meetings.

 

StreakSmarts Pick: Atlanta Hawks

Confidence: 4/10

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