The Atlanta Hawks’ defense will face a tough challenge on Saturday when they begin a four-game homestand by playing against the Memphis Grizzlies, the NBA’s best offensive team.
The Hawks allow 119.3 points per game, which is the fourth-worst in the league. What’s more concerning is their struggle to defend the 3-point shot. They rank last in the NBA, giving up an average of 15.9 3-pointers per game at a 38.2 percent success rate.
This could be a big problem against Memphis, who set a franchise record by hitting 27 3-pointers in their 144-93 win over Golden State on Thursday.
Memphis also played well on defense. They held Golden State’s stars, Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, without a field goal. Curry was 0-for-7 with two points, and Green was 0-for-4 without scoring.
“That’s our mentality,” said Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins. “I tell the guys all the time, and I give them the list of things I saw that were really good. I’m like, this is what it’s got to be like every single night. They know it. It’s a tough schedule for everyone, 82 games, and some teams will get more attention than others.”
“And Atlanta is playing really well right now, a dynamic team, but it’s always about us, you know, I don’t care who’s on the schedule.”
The Hawks, who reached the semifinals of the NBA Cup tournament, have lost two games in a row but have won seven out of their last 10. In their 133-126 overtime loss to San Antonio on Thursday, four Hawks players scored more than 20 points. This was the third time in their last five games that Atlanta allowed more than 130 points.
“That balance is something we’ve had,” said Atlanta coach Quin Snyder. “We had a lot of good possessions where we were spaced and able to get some good looks.”
This will be the first meeting between the teams this season. Last year, they split their two games, each winning on the other’s home court. Memphis has won two straight games in Atlanta.
Memphis made a change to their starting lineup, moving Zach Edey into the center position, with Brandon Clarke coming off the bench against Golden State. Edey contributed eight points and eight rebounds, while Clarke had eight points and 10 rebounds in the win.
“We just felt our starting unit needed a little bit of a boost,” said Jenkins. “Could I get a little bit of a jolt there? I thought Zach played well, and this is no reflection on B.C., he’s been great with any unit. It was a tough decision, and we’ll keep evaluating lineup combinations.”
The easy win for Memphis helped reduce the playing time for Ja Morant, who took a hard fall against Indiana in the previous game and was listed as questionable due to back soreness. Morant started but only played 17 minutes because of the game’s one-sided score. He is still listed as doubtful for Saturday’s game.
Morant is second on the team with an average of 21.2 points per game, behind Jaren Jackson Jr. at 21.8 points.
Atlanta will be without backups Kobe Bufkin (right shoulder) and Onyeka Okongwu (left knee inflammation), while star guard Trae Young (right heel) is listed as questionable. Memphis is missing Jay Huff (left ankle sprain), and Marcus Smart (left shoulder) is also questionable.
