VItals: Hawks at Thunder

Everything you need to know when high-flying Atlanta visits the Ford Center.

Thursday, May 26th 2011, 11:28 am

By: News On 6

Originally Published: Feb 1, 2010 3:2 PM CDT

Gerald Goodridge
Oklahoma Sports Staff Writer

Atlanta Hawks (30-16) at Oklahoma City Thunder (26-21)
Tuesday, Feb 2, 2010, 7 p.m. CST.
Ford Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Game 48 of 82

Anticipated Starting Lineups

	Oklahoma City	Atlanta
PG	Russell Westbrook 15.9 PPG, 7.4 APG	Mike Bibby 8.9 PPG, 4.2 APG
SG	Thabo Sefolosha 6.0 PPG, 5.3 RPG	Joe Johnson 21.4 PPG, 4.8 RPG
SF	Kevin Durant 29.6 PPG, 7.3 RPG	Marvin Williams 10.9 PPG, 4.9 APG
PF	Jeff Green 14.2 PPG, 6.2 RPG	Josh Smith 15.0 PPG, 8.4 RPG
C	Nenad Krstic 8.0 PPG, 4.8 RPG	Al Horford 13.3 PPG, 9.6 RPG

Injuries...
Oklahoma City: F DJ White (thumb, out); G Kyle Weaver (shoulder, out).
Atlanta: None reported

Where to find it?
On TV: Fox Sports Oklahoma
On Radio: Thunder Radio Network

What you need to know?
Oklahoma City managed back-to-back wins over Denver and Golden State by putting up gaudy offensive numbers, and big-time third quarters. The Thunder scored a collective 65 points in the third in its last two games, and the big openings to the second half put the games comfortably in its hands. After three-straight losses knocked them out of the top eight in the Western Conference, its third straight win could place them back among the playoff teams.

Atlanta has been great on both ends of the floor, averaging 102.2 points per game while holding opponents to 97.3 points per game. However, the last time the Hawks played Oklahoma City, they were held to 91 points and Kevin Durant scored 29 on the way to dropping Atlanta. The Hawks have only topped 100 points one time in their last three games.

Who to watch?
Kevin Durant scored 45 against Golden State and vaulted himself to second in the league in scoring (29.6 ppg), one-tenth of a point behind league leader Carmelo Anthony. Durant could have another big game, matching up with Marvin Williams. Thabo Sefolosha will have his hands full trying to shut down Joe Johnson, Atlanta’s dynamite scoring point guard.

The man who backs up Johnson might be the key for the Atlanta Hawks. Jamaal Crawford averaged 19.3 points per game in the month of January, while the man who he relieves averaged 20.9. Crawford provides the spark off the bench the Hawks need to quiet the Thunder’s offensive onslaught. Al Horford could have a big game matching up with the less athletic Nenad Krstic.