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Hawks, Blazers look to get back in win column Wednesday
By: Zach Cohen - StatFox
Published: 3/5/2014  at  4:39:00 AM
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ATLANTA HAWKS (26-32)

at PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS (41-19)

Tip-off: Wednesday, 10:35 p.m. ET
Line: Portland -9, Total: 217.5

The struggling Hawks head northwest on Wednesday night to take on a Blazers team that has won five of its past six games.

Atlanta has really fallen apart in the last month, dropping 11 of its past 12 games (1-10-1 ATS), including three in a row where the club has surrendered 117.0 PPG on 48.1% FG. Portland is coming off a surprising 107-106 home loss to the 12-point underdog Lakers, but it had won five straight games before that. The Blazers' defense has really been sharp during these past six games, allowing just 94.8 PPG on 40.8% FG (30.6% threes), which is a huge improvement from the 103.0 PPG on 45.4% FG (35.9% threes) they give up this season. These teams last met on March 22, 2013 in Atlanta when Portland won 104-93 despite being a 7.5-point road underdog, making this club 19-13 SU (but only 13-19 ATS) in this series since 1996. In this same timeframe, the Blazers hold a 10-6 SU advantage, at home, but the Hawks are 11-5 ATS in these past 16 trips to Portland. Over the past three seasons, Atlanta is 8-0 ATS after a game where it allowed an opponent to shoot at least 55% from the floor, but the Blazers are 20-11 ATS when playing a team with a losing record this season. On the injury front, PFs Paul Millsap (knee) and Pero Antic (ankle) are both questionable for the Hawks, who will desperately need one or both of those guys on the floor to hang in this game.

Can the Blazers bounce back from Sunday's loss and win by double-figures? For the answer, connect to The Platinum Sheet for all the Expert picks throughout the entire 2012-13 season. The five StatFox experts have been heating up in NBA Best Bets recently with a 58% ATS record (46-34-1) since Feb. 10. StatFox Dave has a stellar 59% ATS (39-27-1) Best Bets record since Dec. 1 and is 54% ATS (49-41-1) on Best Bets for the season. StatFox Brian remains red-hot, going 68% ATS (19-9-1) since Jan. 25 and 60% ATS (34-23-1) in Best Bets since Dec. 12. StatFox Zach has a strong 56% ATS mark (35-28-3) on Best Bets since Dec. 1.

Atlanta had a very promising first half of the season, but things have been spiraling downward since the start of February, especially on the road where the team has dropped seven straight SU (0-6-1 ATS). But the one player who has really taken his game to a new level despite the struggles of his team is PG Jeff Teague (16.3 PPG, 7.0 APG). Over the past four games, Teague is averaging 27.3 PPG (58% FG, 50% threes) and 6.0 APG. He will need to at least match the production of opposing point guard Damian Lillard if the Hawks are going to keep this game from busting right open. PF Mike Scott (9.8 PPG, 3.7 RPG) played well in Sunday's 129-120 road loss to the Suns, finishing with 20 points and five rebounds in 40 minutes of play. Scott’s ability to stretch the floor could really open things up for the Hawks guards to attack the paint. SF Kyle Korver (12.8 PPG) is a blistering 14-of-21 from three-point range over the past three games and is averaging 17.0 PPG in those contests. He must continue to ride his hot streak from long range, as the Blazers will definitely allow for some good looks at the basket.

Portland is coming off of a tough loss to the Lakers on Tuesday, in which Los Angeles won the game on an alley-oop off an inbounds pass in the final seconds. The Blazers have played well recently though, and their star player, PF LaMarcus Aldridge (23.7 PPG, 11.2 RPG), is looking healthier after suffering a groin injury at the end of February. In the two games since he has returned, Aldridge is averaging 18.5 PPG and 6.5 RPG in just 31.0 MPG. He should be able to feast on the Hawks on Wednesday, as they will be playing with their best big men banged up, or out of the game altogether. PG Damian Lillard (21.2 PPG, 5.6 APG) is averaging 22.8 PPG, 4.2 APG and 4.0 RPG over the past five contests, but he has a matchup with a very quick point guard in Jeff Teague. Lillard will need to stick with Teague all night on defense and that could tire him out a bit on the offensive end. SF Nicolas Batum (13.0 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 5.3 APG) has really stepped up his game recently (13.0 PPG, 15.5 PPG, 5.5 APG in past two games), and will need to play at a high level defensively in order to slow down the red-hot Kyle Korver playing opposite him. The 16 rebounds that Batum had in the loss to L.A. was a career-high for him, and he will look to be just as aggressive on Wednesday.


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