Chicago Bulls vs Atlanta Hawks Prediction & Match Preview - March 3rd, 2022 | NBA Season 2021-22
In the final matchup of their season series, the Atlanta Hawks will host the Chicago Bulls at the State Farm Arena on Thursday, March 3.
Although the Bulls were on a roll in late February, the start of March hasn't been as kind. With their 112-99 loss against the Miami Heat, the Bulls have now lost consecutive games. Half a game in front of third seeds Milwaukee Bucks, Chicago need to win this game to stay in the top two in the East.
Meanwhile, the Atlanta Hawks are also coming off a loss. They were beaten 98-107 by the Boston Celtics to slip to 29-32 on the season. With a play-in spot on the line, Atlanta need every win they can get to keep their playoff hopes alive.
The Bulls have won all three meetings against the Hawks this season. However, with Atlanta seeking to stay in play-in territory, a competitive matchup should ensue.
Match Details
Fixture - Chicago Bulls vs Atlanta Hawks | 2021-22 NBA Season.
Date & Time - Thursday, March 3, 2022; 7:00 PM ET (Friday, March 4, 2022; 5:30 AM IST).
Venue - State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA.
Chicago Bulls Preview
Following their loss against the Miami Heat, the Bulls are now 39-23 on the season. Although they have played well without a few key players, Chicago have struggled for consistency.
Against Miami, they employed a pretty consistent formula offensively. Featuring midrange iso plays for DeMar DeRozan, the Bulls exploited Miami's lack of interior size by feeding the ball to Nikola Vucevic. Zach LaVine led Chicago's scoring effort with 22 points.
Zach’s fallaway is pure.
@NBCSChicago | @ZachLaVine https://t.co/ml6KYmPmiv
Chicago came up short, though, because of their poor performances in the first and third quarters. They only shot 24.1% from beyond the arc, and also struggled at the defensive end.
Key Player - DeMar DeRozan
A key player for the Chicago Bulls in this upcoming away fixture could be DeMar DeRozan. Coming off an efficient night against the Hawks, DeRozan, though, saw an impressive streak of scoring outings come to an end.
What a stretch for DeMar DeRozan ☺️ https://t.co/Wp74LvgBnb
DeRozan has been one of the most impressive players this season. Earning an All-Star selection with the Chicago Bulls, the 32-year old has kept the team afloat in the absence of many key players.
DeRozan could be essential for Chicago in this game. Although he isn't an effective playmaker, he finds a way to draw attention from the opposition defense.
Chicago Bulls Predicted Lineup
G - Ayo Dosunmu | G - Zach LaVine | F - DeMar DeRozan | F - Javonte Green | C - Nikola Vucevic.
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Atlanta Hawks Preview
The Atlanta Hawks have made a steady rise from the bottom of the table since the start of the season. However, injury woes and consistency issues mean they are barely hanging on to a play-in spot.
In their last game against the Celtics, they took a massive lead in the first half, but experienced a massive meltdown in the second. With the Hawks scoring only 13 points in the third quarter, the Celtics took over the game.
Trae Young led the Hawks' offensive charge with 31 points. However, other than Bogdan Bogdanovic and Danilo Gallinari, the Hawks barely saw any other significant scoring contributions.
With John Collins' availability still questionable, the Hawks will need to find a way to keep alive their hopes of a playoff appearance.
Key Player - Trae Young
A key player for the Atlanta Hawks in their upcoming home fixture could be Trae Young. Coming off a solid performance against the Celtics, Young continues to be the focal point of the Hawks' offense.
Trae Young’s last 20 games 🥶
28.3 PTS
3.6 REB
9.0 AST
1.0 STL
47.0% FG
39.4% 3P
88.9% FT
Trae and Michael Jordan are the only two players in NBA history to average 28+ PPG and 9+ APG on 47/39/85% shooting over a 20-game span. https://t.co/uPeO58lxWJ
Young recorded 31 points on 12-25 shooting from the field. While his shooting from beyond the arc hasn't been as reliable in recent outings, the 23-year old delivers key buckets.
Trae Young exerts a massive influence in the Hawks' offense, dictating the pace of games with his intelligent movement. However, Young has been listed as questionable for Thursday's game. After rolling his ankle, a recurring injury, the Hawks could bench their superstar.
Trae Young headed to the locker room after suffering an ankle injury on this play
(via @NBCSCeltics)
https://t.co/eu9cqqdrD6
Atlanta Hawks Predicted Lineup
G - Trae Young | G - Kevin Huerter | F - De'Andre Hunter | F - Danilo Gallinari | C - Clint Capela.
Bulls vs Hawks Match Prediction
The Chicago Bulls vs Atlanta Hawks clash could be an interesting one. With both sides missing key players, the game appears fairly balanced.
However, the Hawks could emerge victorious. Although Chicago enjoy a better record and have not lost against the Hawks this season, the Bulls are a bit out of form at the moment.
While both teams are coming off losses on the road, Atlanta will have homecourt advantage for this game. That could shift the game in their favor. However, the Bulls are still a top-ranked team in the East. With enough firepower to overwhelm most teams, Chicago could find their rhythm against a relatively poor Atlanta defensive unit.
Where to watch Bulls vs Hawks game?
The Chicago Bulls vs Atlanta Hawks game will be locally broadcast on Bally Sports Southeast. The game will also be available on the NBA's League Pass platform. Fans can listen to the game by tuning into WZGC as well.
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