OKC Thunder vs Atlanta Hawks Date and Time: Friday, March 19,2021 5 AM IST Venue: State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA Prediction: Atlanta Hawks Bookmaker: 1xbet
The Atlanta Hawks will host the OKC Thunder at the State Farm Arena before heading into an eight-game road trip. The Hawks enter this matchup on the back of six straight wins while the Thunder have slowed down a bit recently.
Despite largely featuring a rotation that would not be out of place in the G-League, the OKC Thunder are 2-2 in their first four games since the All-Star break. Head coach Mark Daigneault has decided to give extended minutes to youngsters with the likes of Al Horford and Mike Muscala taking a step back.
The Atlanta Hawks have made the most of a favorable run of fixtures in the schedule to return to a .500 record. They’re yet to lose a game under interim head coach Nate McMillan but that could change during their eight-game trip down the west coast. The Hawks are still missing key players, especially in the frontcourt. Centers Clint Capela and Onyeka Okongwu could both miss the matchup against OKC Thunder. Two-way forward Nathan Knight may have to slot in as the stretch five again.
Even though the OKC Thunder have been a fairly unpredictable team this season, there’s been a clear developmental shift since the All-Star break. And even though the young guys generally try harder in games, they do not necessarily play winning basketball. Meanwhile, things are finally starting to click for the Atlanta Hawks. Their defending and three-point shooting has been up to the mark in the last two weeks. Expect Trae Young and co. to dominate this tie.
