The Atlanta Hawks (12-17) visit the Chicago Bulls (13-18) on Tuesday. Both teams have endured a turbulent time and will want to build some momentum heading into the new year. Atlanta has lost their last two games and are 3-2 in their last five, the same as the Bulls, who have looked more cohesive without Zach LaVine in their rotation, though.
Both rosters have star players being heavily discussed in trade rumors, so it will be interesting to see how they navigate the additional attention and whether it affects either team’s overall play.
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Atlanta Hawks vs Chicago Bulls: Game details, prediction and betting tips
Game Details
Teams: Atlanta Hawks (12-17) vs Chicago Bulls (13-18)
Date and Time:Dec. 26, 2023 | 8:00 p.m. ET
Venue:United Center, Chicago
Atlanta Hawks vs Chicago Bulls: Preview
The Chicago Bulls will be missing Lonzo Ball, Onuralp Bitim, Torrey Craig, Henri Drell and Zach LaVine due to injury.
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Nikola Vucevic is questionable due to a left adductor contusion. It means that the Bulls will be missing four key pieces in their rotation and will likely rely on DeMar DeRozan and the surging Coby White to lead them on offense.
The Hawks are also dealing with some injury issues of their own. AJ Griffin, Mouhamed Gueye and De’Andre Hunter are all out with injuries. Trae Young and Jalen Johnson are questionable. Hunter’s absence will hurt the Hawks on the defensive end while they will be sweating on Young’s availability due to his impact as an offensive juggernaut.
Atlanta Hawks vs Chicago Bulls: Starting lineups
The Bulls’ starting lineup could look like this: Coby White, Alex Caruso, DeMar DeRozan, Patrick Williams and Nikola Vucevic.
Even without Zach LaVine in their rotation, the Bulls have a balanced offensive unit. However, the bigger question is whether they can begin to string together a robust defensive identity to help provide an overall balance to their style of play.
The Hawks’ starting lineup could look like this: Trae Young, Dejounte Murray, Saddiq Bey, Garrison Matthews and Clint Capela.
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The Hawks have struggled on defense for multiple seasons. They must improve on that side of the court to progress as a unit and finally begin to make good on their potential.
Atlanta Hawks vs Chicago Bulls: Betting tips
Trae Young is averaging 28.3 points over his 27 games this season. He enters the contest against the Bulls with an under of -115 to score under 29.5 points. Considering both team’s struggles on the defensive end and assuming Young is cleared to play, Young could have a big night as Atlanta’s primary option.
Coby White has been enjoying some strong performances in Zach LaVine’s absence. He’s averaging 17.6 points over 31 games and is -120 to score under 22.5 points against the Hawks.
Nikola Vucevic is averaging 10.4 rebounds per game this season. He’s -113 to secure less than 11.5 boards against the Hawks.
Atlanta Hawks vs Chicago Bulls: Prediction
The Hawks enter their contest against the Bulls as marginal underdogs. They are +1.5 on the spread and +102 on the money line. Atlanta’s defensive issues could become an issue against a Bulls’ team that has looked vastly improved on offense over the past few weeks.
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Of course, the presence of Dejounte Murray and Trae Young in the backcourt will ensure that the Hawks will remain competitive as they look to win via high-level offense. Nevertheless, the Bulls should have too much for the Hawks.
Detroit Pistons (22-21, ninth in the Eastern Conference) vs. Atlanta Hawks (22-20, sixth in the Eastern Conference)
Atlanta; Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. EST
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BOTTOM LINE: Detroit visits Atlanta trying to prolong its three-game road winning streak.
The Hawks are 15-8 against Eastern Conference opponents. Atlanta ranks second in the NBA with 29.5 assists per game. Trae Young leads the Hawks averaging 11.7.
The Pistons are 15-15 against Eastern Conference opponents. Detroit ranks eighth in the Eastern Conference with 25.5 assists per game led by Cade Cunningham averaging 9.3.
The Hawks are shooting 46.3% from the field this season, 0.5 percentage points lower than the 46.8% the Pistons allow to opponents. The Pistons average 13.4 made 3-pointers per game this season, 1.6 fewer made shots on average than the 15.0 per game the Hawks allow.
TOP PERFORMERS: Young is averaging 23.3 points and 11.7 assists for the Hawks.
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Cunningham is averaging 24.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 9.3 assists for the Pistons.
LAST 10 GAMES: Hawks: 5-5, averaging 116.3 points, 44.3 rebounds, 28.3 assists, 11.0 steals and 5.8 blocks per game while shooting 45.3% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 118.5 points per game.
Pistons: 7-3, averaging 112.7 points, 46.0 rebounds, 24.5 assists, 8.6 steals and 5.1 blocks per game while shooting 46.8% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 108.4 points.
INJURIES: Hawks: Zaccharie Risacher: out (thigh), Kobe Bufkin: out for season (shoulder), Larry Nance Jr.: out (hand), Cody Zeller: out (personal).
Pistons: Jaden Ivey: out (leg).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – Tuesday is a First Alert Weather Day and Gov. Brian Kemp has declared a state of emergency. This system will bring snow more to the south of Atlanta. A Winter Weather Advisory has been issued for much of metro Atlanta and south Georgia.
>> FULL FORECAST: Bitter cold tonight; snow possible south of Atlanta
>> FULL LIST: School closings
LIVE UPDATES:
6:45 p.m. | MARTA says they will operate on a normal schedule Tuesday, however, they will assess conditions mid-day to determine if any adjustments need to be made.
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6:05 p.m. | DeKalb County offices, senior centers, libraries, recreation centers, the Sanitation Division’s customer service desk and the Planning Department’s One Stop Shop will be closed Tuesday.
6 p.m. | DeKalb Public Health regional health centers and offices will be closed Tuesday.
5:49 p.m. | Gwinnett, Newton and Rockdale County health departments will be closed on Tuesday.
5:45 p.m. | City of Atlanta government offices will be closed with employees working virtually on Tuesday.
5:43 p.m. | Fulton County Boards of Health will be closed on Tuesday.
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5:41 p.m. | The Clayton County Board of Commissioners administrative offices, libraries, recreation centers, and senior centers will be closed on Tuesday.
5 p.m. | Zoo Atlanta will be closed Tuesday due to cold weather expected to move through Atlanta.Read more
4 p.m. | Delta Air Lines is offering waivers to customers traveling to or from Atlanta because of wintry weather in Georgia.Read more
3 p.m. | Schools begin closing or making announcements to have a virtual-learning day. Click here for the full list.
2 p.m. | Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp declared a state of emergency ahead of winter weather and freezing temperatures expected in the Peach State on Tuesday. The state of emergency order authorizes “the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency to activate the State Operations Center and mobilize any needed resources to address potential impacts.”
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>> WATCH ANF+: Download the free Atlanta News First app on your Roku, FireTV or AppleTV. We will bring you live updates every hour starting at midnight.
>> TEXT US PHOTOS AND VIDEOS! If it is safe, text us your photos and videos of any storm damage to 470-770-WANF (9263). Please include your name and the location. By texting us, you agree to our usage rights for on-air and online.
>> WHAT TO DO IF YOUR HOME IS DAMAGED BY TREES? Take pictures. Get quotes. And don’t pay upfront.Better Call Harry has what you need to do – and not do – if your home is damaged by fallen trees and branches.
If you’re an Atlanta resident, you may want to turn away for the next sentence. This year will bring a lot more visitors to the already-congested city. With a 2025 calendar filled with big sporting events (January’s College Football Championship, July’s MLB All-Star Game), major cultural moments (one of Kendrick Lamar’s only Southern dates on his Grand National Tour) and steady overall growth — in early 2024, Atlanta’s metro area became the sixth biggest in the U.S., surpassing Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., in the process — there will be no way to avoid the glut of tourists at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport and on area highways over the coming months.
But rather than pout about the pending traffic, Forbes Travel Guide wants you to have a good time in all the fuss. To ensure that happens, we’ve put together a list of the best places to eat, play and stay for out-of-towners and locals who are willing to brave an extra 30 minutes in I-75 congestion.
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Where To Stay In Atlanta
Buckhead, the ritzy neighborhood where Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star The St. Regis Atlanta sits, has gotten decidedly quieter over the past few years. Where popular bars and nightclubs once thrived now you’ll find boutiques and hushed sushi counters.
The more subdued nature suits the St. Regis perfectly. When you step into the lobby, you don’t hear much of anything besides a soft welcome at the door and the loud call of elegance from spiraled staircases and extravagant chandeliers. Inside the rooms, there’s a subtle clamoring for your attention — do you look at the iPad room controls, turn toward the white marble bath or stare at the camping tent and movie treats set up for the new Family Traditions Experience? The answer is “all of the above,” but the hotel encourages you to take your time doing any of it.
Not that clocks aren’t needed at the property, though. Witnessing the 6 o’clock nightly champagne sabering is a must. So, too, is your 7:30 p.m. dinner reservation at Atlas Buckhead, the Four-Star eatery where every dish is a work of art. And whatever you do, don’t forget about the Four-Star The St. Regis Atlanta Spa. With unique treatments like the gold- and citrus-enhanced Buckhead Escape on the menu, you’d hate to miss your appointment.
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Where To Eat In Atlanta
The only thing popping up in Atlanta with a higher frequency than condominium towers is restaurants. Look any direction around the city and there’s something new cooking. Within walking distance of the St. Regis is one of our new favorites, Delbar. A longtime pick for Persian and North African food lovers in Inman Park and Alpharetta, Delbar just opened its Buckhead location in December. During a recent visit, the place was packed and plates of labneh (yogurt cheese), sabzi polo (Persian rice with a browned crust) and chicken kebabs were plentiful.
Down the road from Delbar is Lucian. While this spot has poured glasses of wine; cooked light, seasonally inspired cuisine; and sold art books for a few years, things have never felt fresher. The food (scrumptious scallops) is amazing, the restaurant draws a crowd (Ludacris’ wife was dining in a corner when we last visited) and the mood is dignified but not detached.
Brasserie Margot is the newly opened French eatery at Four-Star Four Seasons Hotel Atlanta. Anyone who’s visited the Midtown hotel knows its Bar Margot is an essential stop for creative cocktails and colorful conversations. Consider Brasserie the more subdued older sibling that allows pendant lights, plush banquettes and comforting dishes such as the côte de boeuf (a massive bone-in ribeye) and a mussels vol au vent (a creamy, pot pie-like dish) do all the talking.
Where To Play In Atlanta
Painted Hospitality didn’t invent the “competeatery” category with its two popular date-night addresses, Painted Pin and Painted Duck, but it cements its position as the city’s go-to for games and grub with its latest entries, Painted Pickle and Painted Park. The former capitalizes on pickleball’s popularity by offering cushioned, regulation-sized courts, equipment rentals and a 12-seat bar on one side of the building and lawn games (cornhole, a putting green) and a full kitchen that impressively dishes out everything from popcorn rock shrimp to sashimi cucumber rolls on the other.
Sister spot Painted Park debuted this past October in Inman Park. A gathering place for those strolling along the Beltline trail, Painted Park is great for a cold beer on the patio or a hotly competitive round of pingpong in the gaming parlor. Whatever your motivation is to stop by, make sure to try the chicken and cheese sandwich and tunnel cake (its tasty take on a county fair funnel cake) before you leave.
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Not all the fun around town involves a fork, of course. The High Museum of Art has been on a tremendous run with its temporary exhibits lately. While “Giants: Art from the Dean Collection of Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys” may have wrapped up its colorful show, the museum keeps the cultural train humming along with “Georgia O’Keeffe: My New Yorks” (through February 16), “Thinking Eye, Seeing Mind: The Medford and Loraine Johnston Collection” featuring postwar American drawings (through May 25), as well as solo spring shows for Ryoji Ikeda, Kim Chong Hak and Ezrom Legae.
And that’s on top of a calendar already packed with monthly programs (Family Saturdays), live music (Malcolm-Jamal Warner, February 21) and special workshops (cocktail-making class, March 22).
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Where To Escape In Atlanta
We haven’t forgotten about the traffic. There are ways to avoid it. When it comes to steering clear of Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport commotion, for example, we’ve long sang the praises of the PS private luxury terminal. But just when we thought no-wait TSA lines and personal suites were as good as it could get, PS chefs Matt Roman and Morgan Heller’s new seasonally governed menu amps it up. With items like party wings tossed in a Georgia peach and habanero sauce and juicy roasted hen with collard greens paired with timely tipples such as The First Snow (spiced rum, hazelnut liqueur, double spiced chai tea, cinnamon and heavy cream), travel day is downright tranquil.
But for the ultimate respite, look about 30 minutes south of the airport to Serenbe. While full-time residents and savvy weekenders make up most of the traffic in the idyllic farm community, there’s plenty of room for day trippers. There’s a full-scale spa, a farm animal village and a robust arts scene. Still, it’s the epicurean options that keep us coming back — even during the week. Complementing the Farmhouse’s stellar breakfast and the Hill’s consistent dinner is the just-opened Austin’s, a 1920s-styled cocktail bar that not only mixes incredible pours (like the bourbon- and honey-doused Front Porch Swing), but it serves a flavor-packed short rib and a scallion- and sage-topped halibut, too.
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