After a week-long hiatus, the Atlanta Hawks return to action on Thursday evening. The Hawks finished up the First Half of the 2020-21 season with a road trip to Florida and, fittingly, the team also begins the Second Half in the Sunshine State, albeit in Tampa to face the Toronto Raptors in their temporary home.
It’s been an up and down season for the Raptors, with the team starting in a rut, climbing out of it and then sliding before the All-Star break. All told, Toronto is 17-19 overall after losing four of their last five games, even if a closer look indicates that those losses can be at least partially attributed to widespread roster absences due to the NBA’s health and safety protocols.