Chicago Bulls vs Atlanta Hawks Prediction and Match Preview - May 1st, 2021 | NBA season 2020-21
In a clash of two playoff hopefuls in the 2020-21 NBA, the Chicago Bulls will take on the Atlanta Hawks at the State Farm Arena on Saturday.
Both teams will look to return to winning ways after losing their last few games. The Chicago Bulls are on a two-game losing streak, while the injury-riddled Atlanta Hawks will enter this contest off a three-game skid.
Match Details
Fixture - Chicago Bulls vs Atlanta Hawks | 2020-21 NBA Season.
Date & Time - Saturday, May 1st; 8:00 PM ET (Sunday, May 2nd; 5:30 AM IST).
Venue - State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA.
Chicago Bulls Preview
The Chicago Bulls have been without their star player Zach LaVine for nine games. Surprisingly, they have managed to win four games during this period to stay in postseason reckoning. They are 11th in the Eastern Conference standings, three games behind the tenth-placed Washington Wizards.
The Bulls will need to win all their remaining games of the regular season to have any chance of making it to the playoffs.
The Chicago Bulls were dealt a 98-108 defeat by the Milwaukee Bucks in their last outing. Coby White led the Bulls' charge with 21 points, while Nikola Vucevic had 17 points and 15 rebounds on the night. However, that was not enough to topple the Giannis Antetokounmpo-less Bucks, as the Bulls endured a disappointing night at the offensive end.
Billy Donovan's side shot just 38% from the field, converting only ten of their threes. The Chicago Bulls misfired from the charity stripe as well, shooting just 14 of 21 from the free-throw line.
Key Player - Nikola Vucevic
Nikola Vucevic has been the Chicago Bulls' best player in the absence of Zach LaVine. However, Vucevic had an off-night against the Bucks, shooting only 7 of 27 from the field and will look for a better outing against the Atlanta Hawks.
Vucevic will be up against the Atlanta Hawks' Clint Capela, who has been in terrific form this season. Vucevic will need to make sure he wins the battle in the paint and also come up big defensively to ensure that the Chicago Bulls do not slip further in their quest to reach the playoffs.
Predicted Lineup
Point Guard - Coby White l Shooting Guard - Garrett Temple l Small Forward - Patrick Williams l Power Forward - Daniel Theis l Center - Nikola Vucevic.
Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks endured a tough last week because of injuries to key players. They have lost four of their last six games. However, with most of them back, the Hawks will fancy their chances of winning their first match in four attempts.
The Atlanta Hawks are coming off a 104-126 defeat against the Philadelphia 76ers. Trae Young, on his return to the lineup, shone with 32 points, but a dismal outing from the rest of his teammates saw his efforts go in vain.
The Hawks will hope they can do a better job against the Chicago Bulls, who have been grappling with their own issues for a while now.
Key Player - Trae Young
Trae Young's return gave the Atlanta Hawks a much-needed boost. He looks in great touch and could be key for the Hawks as the regular season draws to a close. The Chicago Bulls have struggled in defense, an area Young would look to improve.
Young has been a terrific playmaker and scorer this season, averaging 25.3 points and 9.6 rebounds per contest.
Predicted Lineup
Point Guard - Trae Young l Shooting Guard - Bogdan Bogdanovic l Small Forward - Solomon Hill l Power Forward - John Collins l Center - Clint Capela.
Bulls vs Hawks Prediction
The Atlanta Hawks are a better squad on paper and are having a better season than the Chicago Bulls, which makes them the favorites in this game.
With several players back in their lineup, the Hawks will look to dominate proceedings. However, the Chicago Bulls are unpredictable, and if they get going at the offensive end, the Hawks could face a tall task.
Where to watch the Bulls vs Hawks game?
The game between the Chicago Bulls and the Atlanta Hawks will be televised locally on Bally Sports Southeast and NBC Sports Chicago. The match can also be live-streamed with an NBA League Pass.