CHICAGO BULLS vs. Atlanta Hawks PREVIEW – APRIL 17, 2024 — Greetings, basketball fans. Welcome to our NBA coverage here at Total Apex Sports. One of the games on tap from today’s slate features the Atlanta Hawks (36-46 SU, 29-53 ATS) squaring off against the Chicago Bulls (39-43 SU, 41-40-1 ATS).
Here is a look at how both these playoff squads are performing coming into this matchup.
Tipoff
When: Wednesday, April 17, 2024 @ 9:30 PM ET
Where: United Center, Chicago, IL
TV: ESPN
Bulls vs. Hawks – Regular Season Stats & Trends
Can The Hawks Snap Their Six-Game Losing Streak?
Atlanta Hawks Season Stats:
- Scoring Offense: 118.3 PPG – 5TH
- Offensive Efficiency: 117.2 points per 100 possessions – 12TH
- Scoring Defense: 120.5 PPG – 28TH
- Defensive Efficiency: 119.4 points per 100 possessions – 27TH
The Hawks finished at the No. 10 spot in the conference playoff race. They have dropped seven of their last 10 games, and they enter this matchup amid a six-game losing skid.
This includes a 157-115 shellacking at the hands of the Indiana Pacers on Sunday. Dejounte Murray paced the team’s scoring with 32 points on 13-for-19 shooting from the floor while knocking down four of his six attempts from distance.
Bogdan Bogdanovic added 18 points and four rebounds, while Trae Young finished with 12 points and 12 assists. It was Young’s first action following a 23-game absence.
Defense was nowhere to be found for the Hawks as Indiana shot 65 percent from the field and 52.8 percent from beyond the arc. Although the Bulls aren’t an elite offensive unit, that kind of effort will guarantee a win for the home team.
Can The Bulls Top The Short-Handed Hawks?
Chicago Bulls Season Stats:
- Scoring Offense: 112.3 PPG – 22ND
- Offensive Efficiency: 114.9 points per 100 possessions – 19TH
- Scoring Defense: 113.7 PPG – 16TH
- Defensive Efficiency: 116.3 points per 100 possessions – 21ST
Meanwhile, the Bulls finished with the ninth-best record in the Eastern Conference, and they have split their last five outings. Chicago recently saw its two-game winning streak end with a 120-119 overtime loss to the New York Knicks in the season finale on Sunday.
DeMar DeRozan set the tone with 30 points, five rebounds, five assists, and four steals.
Nikola Vucevic added 29 points and 11 boards. Coby White finished with 26 points and four assists.
Despite yet another mediocre season, the Bulls played with a sense of urgency against a Knicks team that was fighting for the No. 2 seed in the conference.
DeRozan said via CBS Sports:
I’m proud of this group. Even the way we competed going into the play-in game shows you with the amount of things we went through, us being ready for what’s next. This year has been a lot to build up a lot of resiliency in us all, and it’s brought us a lot closer. And with that it’s going to be a lot of positives that can carry over.
Will Chicago advance past the 9-vs-10 matchup for the second straight year or will the Hawks rebound from their late-season slump?
For More Great Content
To read more great articles from James Tillman III, please continue to read on our main site. Also, check out our betting content here! Check out all the great content Total Apex Sports has to offer. Check us out on X @TotalApexSports and our other sites: Total Apex Sports Bets and Total Apex Fantasy Sports.
