Keys To Victory For Atlanta In Tonight's Play-In Game vs Chicago

The Hawks and the Bulls have been in the No. 9 and No. 10 spot for the past few months and this has been one of the easiest play-in matchups to pencil in. Now, they will meet on the court, with the loser going home and the winner getting one more shot at making the playoffs. 

Atlanta is 3-0 all-time in the play-in tournament. They won games against Charlotte and Cleveland two years ago and then lost to the No. 1 Miami Heat in five games. Last year, Atlanta got their revenge against Miami, beating them in the first playoff game, and then losing to the No. 2 Boston Celtics in six games. The Hawks were 1-2 against Chicago this season.

For Atlanta, they will be missing Jalen Johnson, Onyeka Okongwu, and Saddiq Bey. Ayo Dosunmu and Andre Drummond are questionable for the Bulls.

If the Hawks want to keep their season alive, what are going to be the keys to victory tonight?

1. Win the three-point battle decisively... 

In the last matchup with the Bulls, the Hawks offense played really well and shot 19-40 from three. They were comfortably in the lead and that was because Chicago could not match the Hawks's three-point shooting. 

Now, the Hawks's defense has turned in two really bad performances vs the Bull's average offense this season, including a season-high 136 points back in February. DeMar DeRozan, Coby White, and Dosunmu have all had good games vs the Hawks this year on the offensive end this year and the Hawks might have to win in a shootout. 

In the two losses to the Bulls this year, the Hawks had poor shooting nights from three. You will win most games you shoot better from three and that is going to be a huge key to tonight. 

2. Stay out of foul trouble...

Atlanta could still lose this game even if they stay out of foul trouble, but they won't win it if they can't. With Johnson, Okongwu, and Bey out, as well as Vit Krejci not being converted to a standard contract, Atlanta does not have a lot of options at the forward position already. De'Andre Hunter is arguably the most important guy for the Hawks in tonight's game because of his size and defensive capabilities and there is nobody that can replace him if he were to get in foul trouble. Hunter is going to be guarding DeRozan tonight and you can bet that Chicago will be looking to draw some fouls. If Hunter gets in foul trouble, it will be a long night for Atlanta. 

3. Have Trae Young be the best player on the court...

Young has played really well in play-in games and playoffs overall, outside of a bad series vs the Miami Heat a couple of years ago. He is the most talented player on the floor for tonight's game and could have 30+ points easily. He is going to be facing Alex Caruso a lot tonight, making things difficult for him. Young has stepped up when the lights are brightest and tonight is another opportunity for that. 

4. Get productive minutes from whoever comes off the bench...

The Hawks's rotation is the most interesting thing about them tonight. I think the starters are all going to play at least 30-35 minutes at worst, but who will provide the Hawks with bench relief? I think Bruno Fernando is certainly going to get minutes, but how many will be based on his performance. Fernando can bring energy and offense to some games, but he struggles on defense and the Bulls are going to go after him when he is on the floor. If he is holding up on that end of the court, I could see Fernando getting 20 minutes, that way Capela is not playing massive minutes. If he struggles defensively, Snyder will not have another choice but to play a lot of Capela.

I think Snyder will also opt to play Garrison Matthews and Wesley Matthews. Wesley Matthews is no longer on the injury report and I think Snyder is going to rely upon his veteran experience. Garrison Matthews is the Hawks's best three-point shooter and they will need his offense in this game. He is not the best defender though and will also get picked on when he is on the court.

I don't think Snyder is going to play Bufkin or Forrest and the other guys who he could turn to are AJ Griffin, Mouhamed Gueye, and Seth Lundy. Griffin has played in the last two games after coming back from injury, Gueye has seen his first actual minutes as part of the rotation, and Lundy has barely played for the Hawks this season. Of all of the players listed above, I actually think Gueye is the most likely to see minutes. He has athleticism and length and could be used to guard DeRozan if needed, but he just does not have a lot of experience.

Griffin could be the best offensive option of the three, but he has defensive struggles and if he is not hitting his shots, it could be tough to rely on him out there. Keep an eye on what Snyder wants to do tonight.