Hawks look to avenge home loss toTimberwolves (Dec 26, 2016)
MINNEAPOLIS -- Fresh from two days off during the holiday weekend, the Atlanta Hawks head to Minnesota on Monday with plans to avenge a home loss to the Timberwolves last Wednesday.
Considering Atlanta's recent string, Monday's game is in the perfect spot: on the road.
The Hawks (15-15) have won four straight home games. Minnesota's 92-84 victory in Atlanta last week was one of three straight home losses for the Hawks.
"Until we can figure out to play with consistency and bring the energy and focus every night, execute every night, we're going to be a .500 team," Atlanta swingman Kyle Korver told the Atlanta-Journal Constitution after the loss to the Timberwolves. "That's just our reality."
The Hawks have won in Milwaukee, Toronto, Oklahoma City and Denver over the past four road games. Friday's 109-108 win against the Nuggets occurred as Atlanta came back from an eight-point deficit with 1:43 remaining in the game.
"It means a lot," Hawks forward Paul Millsap told the Journal-Constitution. "But it means nothing if we don't take it to the next game. ... We've got to put two games together in a row. We haven't been able to do that in a while."
It was a lesson Atlanta hopes it learns after losing to Minnesota last week. The Hawks had beat the Thunder in Oklahoma City before returning home with a loss to the Timberwolves. Without center Dwight Howard in the lineup, Atlanta pulled to within three with just under five minutes remaining but didn't get any closer to Minnesota.
Howard could miss the rematch as well as he deals with back tightness. According to the Journal-Constitution, Howard and guard Tim Hardaway Jr. (right groin) are listed as out for Monday's game in Minnesota but the status could change before game time. Korver will be active after missing Friday's game in Denver with an illness, according to the paper.
Without Howard, the Hawks were outrebounded 52-35 by the Timberwolves and Minnesota center Karl-Anthony Towns had 17 points and 18 rebounds.
While Atlanta is rested, the Timberwolves will be the weary holiday travelers. The Timberwolves followed last week's win with a Friday home loss to the Sacramento Kings before playing the first Christmas day game in the team's history.
Minnesota lost 112-100 at Oklahoma City on Christmas. Towns had 26 points and eight rebounds. Andrew Wiggins scored 23 points and Zach LaVine added 16 for the Timberwolves.
"We did everything we could to play them as well as possible," LaVine said. "We had some mental absences that lost us the game."
Mental absences have occurred too often for Minnesota this season. The Timberwolves have let plenty of second-half leads slip away in going 9-21.
"I thought we played fairly well in the first half," Timberwolves coach Tom Thibodeau said. "Then in the third quarter, we knew Russell (Westbrook) would come out and be very aggressive. The thing is you are not going to be able to stop him. You just have to make him work. I thought we did a good job of making him play in a crowd, but in the second half, we were a step behind. That hurt us."
With no Westbrook to face, and possibly no Howard, Minnesota will try to play a full game and re-discover the attitude it had in winning three of four games after beating the Hawks the last time out.
