The Phoenix Suns, who got a key player back in the lineup this week, will try to finish their six-game East Coast road trip with a bang when they go for their fourth straight win in Atlanta on Friday.
The Suns have won three in a row after beating the Philadelphia 76ers 116-110 on Tuesday, when Jalen Green returned to the lineup from a right hamstring injury that has limited him to three games this season.
Green had not played since Nov. 8. He came off the bench for the first time in his career to score 12 points in 20 minutes. Green will continue to have his minutes monitored but is expected to return to the starting lineup quickly, possibly against the Hawks.
“I think we just continue to get better,” Phoenix coach Jordan Ott said. “Even when it doesn’t feel great, we’ve found ways to win. We’re implementing a big piece on the fly here and we’ll learn from that.”
Getting back in action has rejuvenated Green.
“I’ve been out for so long, just had to get my feet wet,” Green said. “It felt good being back with the team, back with the guys. They’ve been all supporting me through this whole time, so just happy to be back out there.”
Green has a career scoring average of 20.1 points and was expected to join Devin Booker and Dillon Brooks to form an elite scoring trio. Green and Brooks were acquired in July as part of the seven-team deal that sent Kevin Durant to Houston.
“I’m excited for him,” said Booker, who scored 27 against the Sixers and is averaging 25.3 points. “He’s been with us through the whole process. I’ve been watching him grind. He can make plays for other people and he gives us another presence in the paint. The speed is there.”
The Hawks snapped a four-game losing streak on Wednesday by beating the Memphis Grizzlies 124-122. Jalen Johnson had 32 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists to lead Atlanta, but newly acquired CJ McCollum had a key defensive play late to swing the momentum.
With under three minutes to go and Atlanta holding a two-point lead, McCollum threw the ball away but immediately raced to the other end and stole it back. He then hit Nickeil Alexander-Walker for an open 3-pointer that upped the lead to five points and thwarted a Memphis comeback.
“He doesn’t make that kind of turnover,” Atlanta coach Quin Snyder said. “So, to see him respond and steal the ball at the other end, it says a lot about who he is. He’s a winner. That was a winning play.”
The Hawks keep experimenting with different lineup combinations since acquiring McCollum and Corey Kispert from Washington on Jan. 7, while dealing with injuries to starters Kristaps Porzingis (left Achilles) and Zaccharie Risacher (left knee bone contusion).
Kispert has started the last two games in place of Vit Krejci, a 42.5% 3-point shooter who is in a slump. Over the last seven games, Krejci is 6-for-33 (18.2%) from long range and was 0-for-6 against the Bucks on Monday.
This is the second meeting between the teams this season. The Hawks won the first game 124-122 in Phoenix on Nov. 16.
