The Atlanta Hawks took on the Los Angeles Lakers Saturday afternoon, looking for their eighth consecutive win to kick off an eight-game, west coast road trip. The Lakers are just the first challenge for Atlanta, on a journey that also features games against the Los Angeles Clippers, Golden State Warriors, Phoenix Suns, Denver Nuggets and the San Antonio Spurs, all of whom are currently in position to make the Western Conference Playoffs.
This was set to be the biggest challenge for the Hawks in some time, as the Hawks beat the Miami Heat (without Jimmy Butler), Orlando Magic, Toronto Raptors (three starters down), Sacramento Kings, Cleveland Cavaliers, Houston Rockets (lost 18 straight games), and Oklahoma City Thunder over the course of their seven-game winning streak.