Everything is starting to trend upward for the Phoenix Suns in the middle of a five-game road trip, and trading for Kevin Durant in the dead of night surely doesn’t hurt, either. They will face the Atlanta Hawks on Thursday, a team still trying to figure out its identity.
On Tuesday, the Suns beat the Brooklyn Nets 116-112 in Devin Booker’s return after missing 21 straight games. He finished with 19 points in 26 minutes. The Hawks lost to the New Orleans Pelicans 116-107, finishing up a West Coast trip, going 2-3.
Let’s check the latest NBA news, stats, injury report and NBA lines for Suns vs Hawks. We’ve got plenty of NBA picks for you to consider.
Suns’ Taking a Step Up
The Suns are trading Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson, and Jae Crowder with a bunch of picks to acquire Durant and T.J. Warren. Durant won’t be able to play right away, still recovering from an MCL injury. The move is made by a new owner, making a big splash to put his team immediately into championship contention.
The move comes off a win against the Nets, Durant’s old team, in which Booker played his first game since Christmas and looked good. Even with Booker on a minutes restriction, he still was a massive boost to the offense, with 19 points and six assists. That isn’t to say there wasn’t any rust, shooting 40% from the field and 2-8 from three, but it’s not bad, given the amount of time he missed.
Facing the Nets, Deandre Ayton tied his career high with 35 points. It was also his second straight 30+ point and 15+ rebound game, with him finally starting to assert himself.
However, the Suns are losing key players to their starting lineup. Bridges was a significant factor in winning eight of their last 10 games. He has made strides to become a better scorer, averaging 23.1 points in the previous 13 games.
Hawks Inconstant Road Trip
This Hawks season has been all over the place. They have not been great at home, 13-11, and even worse against the spread (ATS), 10-14. On top of that, their overall record ATS has been unreliable, going 24-31-0.
All this was reflected in the Hawks’ recent road trip. It started with a loss to the Portland Trail Blazers, without Trae Young, but the offense still scored 120 points, losing by five, covering the spread. Then they won the next two games, somehow blowing out the Suns and beating the Utah Jazz, being underdogs. The last two losses came against the Denver Nuggets, with Young sitting again, losing by 20, and then the Pelicans game. The Hawks were not favored in any of these games but did go 3-2 ATS.
With the trade deadline finishing, it will be interesting to see where the Hawks stand. On one side, they have Young and Dejounte Murray, a backcourt pairing that, on paper, should work, but that is where the team’s inconsistencies start.
Suns vs Hawks Game Injuries
Suns vs Hawks Head-to-Head
This will be the second time the Suns and Hawks meet within 10 days. The first game was in Phoenix on Feb. 1, and the Hawks won 132-100, going 19-33 from three, leading them to the win.
Suns vs Hawks Game Information
- Game: Suns (30-26) vs Hawks (27-28)
- Location: State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA
- Day/Time: Thursday, Feb. 9th, 7:30 p.m. EST
- Suns vs Hawks Live Stream: NBA Game Pass
Suns vs Hawks Betting Lines
Suns vs Hawks Picks and Prediction
Before the trade, the Suns were among the hottest teams in the NBA. Now after trading two important members of their starting lineup, the team could be unbalanced facing the Hawks. However, Booker has an extra day to get healthier and will probably get more minutes in this game.
Given the Hawks’ less-than-impressive record at home, the Suns could still make this game close. But with everything going on with the Suns, it might be hard for them to focus, allowing the Hawks’ offense to take over.
The Phoenix Suns are listed at +225 in our Vegas NBA lines. This means that if you wager $100 on the Suns, you have a chance to win $225. The Atlanta Hawks are -275, offering a chance to win $36 on a $100 wager.
The implied probability attached to the betting lines gives the Phoenix Suns a 30.77% chance to win, with the Atlanta Hawks at 73.33%.
The odds and predictions in the article are based on the time of writing and publication. They may differ as to when the actual event takes place.
Suns vs Hawks Trends
Suns vs Hawks Edge
Suns vs Hawks Results
Suns vs Hawks Game Summary
Hawks vs Suns Previous Game (Feb. 01, 2023)
The Atlanta Hawks are 1-4 in their previous five games and look to turn things around on the road against the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday. The Hawks will benefit from a returning superstar, but the Suns are heating up and are an excellent bet on their home court.
This is a challenging game to make a call on, considering both teams are underperforming but full of star talent. Assuming Young is at full strength, the Hawks’ roster will be healthy, and their rotation will be firing on all cylinders.
The Suns are playing better with Chris Paul back, but their wins have come against bad teams. The Hawks are a good team, and with Young back, they make for a dangerous underdog.
