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Atlanta Hawks vs Chicago Bulls

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Atlanta Hawks vs Chicago Bulls


The winner of tonight’s game between the Bulls and the Hawks will have their season still alive, while the loser will head into the offseason.

Atlanta is 3-0 all-time in the play-in tournament. They won games against Charlotte and Cleveland two years ago and then lost to the No. 1 Miami Heat in five games. Last year, Atlanta got their revenge against Miami, beating them in the first playoff game, and then losing to the No. 2 Boston Celtics in six games. The Hawks were 1-2 against Chicago this season. 

For Atlanta, they will be missing Jalen Johnson, Onyeka Okongwu, and Saddiq Bey. Ayo Dosunmu and Andre Drummond are questionable for the Bulls. 

So who wins tonight’s matchup and sets up another win-or-go-home scenario with the loser of Philadelphia and Miami?

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The Hawks have what it takes to be one of the best offenses in the NBA, but they have not really found that groove yet since Young has returned. Now, Atlanta has been pressing and facing a must-win scenario like they will tonight and I expect their offense to perform better because they are going to need them too. I think the offense is going to be the key tonight for Atlanta. 

In their last matchup on April 1st, the Hawks shot 19-40 from three and that was the biggest difference in the game and why they won by 12 points. Atlanta had huge quarters in the 2nd and third to be able to pull away from the Bulls. 

Atlanta is not going to have Vit Krejci in this game and he went 6-6 from three in the last game vs Chicago. Atlanta opted to not convert his two-way contract and will not have him, which could prove to be crucial. One thing to note about this game is that Atlanta is going to be very small without Johnson, Bey, Okongwu, or Krejci. 

Trae Young has been awesome in all three play-in games that he has played in and overall, has been a solid playoff performer (though the play-in is not recognized as the playoffs). Outside of the series against the Heat two years ago, Young has played well in every playoff series/play-in game that he has been in. He is still working his way back from being injured, but I think Young is going to be asked to play big minutes tonight vs Chicago. 

The other guy who will be playing huge minutes will be Dejounte Murray and I would not be surprised if the Hawks always have one of Young or Murray on the court at all times. Murray had to play huge minutes with Young out, but I don’t think that Quin Snyder is going to play either Kobe Bufkin or Trent Forrest tonight. 

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While Young and Murray might be the Hawks’s best players in this game, De’Andre Hunter might be the most important Hawk for tonight and if the Hawks find a way to advance past this game. As mentioned earlier, Atlanta is going to be lacking size coming into this game and they are going to need Hunter to stay out of foul trouble. He is also going to be the team’s best defender and will spend plenty of time guarding DeMar DeRozan tonight, who might play all 48 minutes for the Bulls. Hunter can also be a big contributor on offense with his three-point shooting. 

Bogdan Bogdanovic is likely going to be in the starting lineup and he has been one of the best players for the Hawks this season. He will be very important on the offensive end and will likely play a huge amount of minutes tonight. 

Clint Capela was rested in the Hawks season finale vs the Pacers, but Atlanta will need him in this game. Both Nikola Vucevic and Andre Drummond (if he plays) are good rebounders and can beat the Hawks up in that area. Capela will be huge in terms of defense and rebounding and while the Hawks might not want to play him 35+ minutes, he might have too. 

The Hawks’s rotation is the most interesting thing about them tonight. I think the starters are all going to play at least 30-35 minutes at worst, but who will provide the Hawks with bench relief? I think Bruno Fernando is certainly going to get minutes, but how many will be based on his performance.  Fernando can bring energy and offense to some games, but he struggles on defense and the Bulls are going to go after him when he is on the floor. If he is holding up on that end of the court, I could see Fernando getting 20 minutes, that way Capela is not playing massive minutes. If he struggles defensively, Snyder will not have another choice but to play a lot of Capela. 

I think Snyder will also opt to play Garrison Matthews and Wesley Matthews. Wesley Matthews is no longer on the injury report and I think Snyder is going to rely upon his veteran experience. Garrison Matthews is the Hawks’s best three-point shooter and they will need his offense in this game. He is not the best defender though and will also get picked on when he is on the court. 

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I don’t think Snyder is going to play Bufkin or Forrest and the other guys who he could turn to are AJ Griffin, Mouhamed Gueye, and Seth Lundy. Griffin has played in the last two games after coming back from injury, Gueye has seen his first actual minutes as part of the rotation, and Lundy has barely played for the Hawks this season. Of all of the players listed above, I actually think Gueye is the most likely to see minutes. He has athleticism and length and could be used to guard DeRozan if needed, but he just does not have a lot of experience. 

Griffin could be the best offensive option of the three, but he has defensive struggles and if he is not hitting his shots, it could be tough to rely on him out there. Keep an eye on what Snyder wants to do tonight. 

For the Bulls, DeRozan is going to be the key tonight, but don’t forget about Coby White. White has been one of the most improved players in the NBA this season, but only shot 8-21 in the last game vs the Hawks. I would expect Murray to guard him tonight. 

Either Dosunmu or Alex Caruso can get hot from three and have an effect on the game. Where Caruso is likely going to make his biggest impact is on the defensive end of the floor, where I expect he will spend a fair amount of time guarding Trae Young. Caruso is one of the best defenders in the NBA and will give Young all kinds of trouble, but Young will be looking for ways to shake him off and find ways to make an impact on the game. 

Look for the Hawks to put Nikola Vucevic in a lot of pick-and-rolls tonight and make him work on the defensive end. If Drummond does not play, Vucevic is the only center the team really has and will have to play a lot. Even if Drummond does play, the Hawks will attack him on the other end of the floor as well. 

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The Bulls bench is a huge question mark in this game, especially if Drummond does not play. The starters will likely see huge minutes for Chicago. 

Viewing and Betting Information

Tip-off time: 9:30 p.m. Eastern Time

Location: United Center, Chicago, IL

Where to Watch: ESPN

Spread and Over/Under: The Hawks will be underdogs on the road tonight, as they are currently 3.5 point underdogs according to the latest odds from the SI Sportsbook and the over/under is set at 219.5.

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Predictions

If the Hawks were healthy, I would feel pretty good about picking them to win this game. I still think they can win this game, but it is going to be tough. They will have to be sharp offensively, keep Hunter out of foul trouble, have Trae Young be the best player on the floor, and get something out of their bench tonight. DeRozan could have a huge game tonight, but I think Coby White might be the most important player for Chicago tonight. Atlanta has success in these types of games, with Trae Young typically giving huge performances. He has another one tonight and the Braves find a way to get to Friday night and keep their season alive.

Final Score: Atlanta 113, Chicago 108 (ATL +3.5, Over)



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Atlanta, GA

Atlanta Falcons Sign 10 Free Agents Including Illinois QB

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Atlanta Falcons Sign 10 Free Agents Including Illinois QB


The Atlanta Falcons wrapped up their 2024 NFL Draft class on Saturday evening and quickly got to work signing 10 undrafted free agents (UDFA).

Atlanta didn’t address the secondary in the draft, but three of the 10 players they signed were cornerbacks. They also added a pair of offensive linemen, quarterback, two offensive linemen, two wide receivers, tight end, and a punter.

Here’s a list of the Falcons 2024 UDFA class including their college bios.

Ryan Coll, OL, 6-5, 324, Richmond

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• Started all 13 games
• Named a Third Team AP and Phil Steele All-American
• Earned DIvision I FCS All-ECAC honors
• Helped the Spiders rank second in the CAA in completion percentage
• Helped the Spiders average 345 yards and 28.2 points per game
• Helped move Richmond to fourth in the CAA and 19th nationally in first downs
• Named First Team All-CAA
• Named Top Offensive Lineman in Virginia by Touchdown Club of Richmond
• Named a Preseason All-American by Phil Steele
• Named First Team Preseason All-CAA by Phil Steele
• Named Preseason All-America by Stats Perform
• Of 720 names to make the list, was one of 45 FCS players to be added to the Reese’s Senior Bowl Watch List

JaQuae Jackson, WR, 6-2, 190, Rutgers

2023 (Senior): Played in all 13 games with 12 starts at wide receiver … signed as a free agent with the Atlanta Falcons … placed second on the team with 361 receiving yards … totaled 22 receptions with one for a touchdown … had at least one catch in 10 games … rated as the ninth-best wide receiver in the Big Ten by Pro Football Focus … saw action in the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl win over Miami (12/28) … added a 16-yard catch at No. 12 Penn State (11/18) … collected three catches for 41 yards and a score versus No. 1/3 Ohio State (11/4) … picked up 46 yards at Wisconsin (10/7) … recorded four catches for 71 yards against Wagner (9/30) … added three receptions for 37 yards at No. 2 Michigan (9/23) … totaled a season-high 95 receiving yards on four catches with a long of 61 versus Temple (9/9) … contributed a reception in Rutgers debut versus Northwestern (9/3).

John Paddock, QB, 6-0, 190, Illinois

• All-Big Ten Honorable Mention (coaches)
• Played in seven games with three starts at quarterback
• Made first Illinois start in 48-45 win vs. Indiana (11/11/23), throwing for 507 yards while tossing four TD passes, including the OT game-winner to Isaiah Williams, to earn B1G Offensive Player of the Week honors
• Paddock’s 507 passing yards vs. Indiana marked a Memorial Stadium record, the second-most in Illinois history, and the most ever by a winning Illini quarterback
• Led Illinois to a win at Minnesota (11/4/23) after entering the game for the first time with 1:25 remaining and facing a 4th-and-11 from the Minnesota 15-yard line with Illinois trailing by five. Paddock needed just 35 seconds to drive the Illini 85 yards on three straight completions, including a 46-yard game-winning touchdown throw to Isaiah Williams. Paddock finished the game 3-for-3 passing for 85 yards, one touchdown, and a 448.0 passer rating in one of the all-time great performances by an Illini back-up quarterback.

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Nolan Potter, OL, 6-6, 301, Northern Illinois

• Earned All-MAC honors from league coaches for the third time, including back-to-back first team honors in 2022 and 2023.
• An honorable mention All-American by Phil Steele.
• Also made the Phil Steele and PFF All-MAC first team.
• Named to the Outland Trophy watch list.
• Qualified for the Academic All-MAC Team for the third time. 
• Served as one of the Huskies’ permanent team captain. 
• Led the way for a rushing offense ranked 36th in the country as NIU averaged 179.6 yards per game on the ground. 
• THe Huskies ranked 19th nationally in fewest sacks allowed, surrendering just 16 sacks in 13 games.
• Cleared holes for All-MAC running back Antario Brown who rushed for 1,296 yards and averaged 6.1 yards per carry.
• NIU backs posted six 100-yard rushing games, including a 280-yard performance by Brown at Akron. 
• Helped pave the way for the Huskies’ 380 rushing yards in win at Akron (10-7). 
• NIU had 506 yards of total offense at Central Michigan (10-31), second-highest total of the season.
• Offensive line dominated as NIU ran for 287 yards on 50 carries in win over Western Michigan (11-14) 

Jayden Price, CB, 6-0,184, North Dakota State

2023 SEASON (SENIOR): Returned to North Dakota State for an extra year of eligibility due to the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the 2020 season…Started all 15 games at cornerback…Honorable mention All-Missouri Valley Football Conference return specialist…Averaged 14.2 yards per punt return on 16 attempts…Scored on a 66-yard punt return against Murray State and broke the NDSU career record for punt return touchdowns with an 82-yard score at South Dakota in the quarterfinals of the NCAA FCS playoffs…Finished his career third on the NDSU all-time list for career punt returns (63), punt return yards (910) and yards per return (14.44)…Made a career-high eight tackles at South Dakota State…Had 2.0 tackles for loss including a sack against Drake in the first round of the NCAA FCS playoffs…Intercepted passes against Drake and Missouri State…Finished sixth on the team with 47 total tackles and was second with four pass breakups…One of six team captains.

Ryan Sanborn, P, 6-3, 211, Texas

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SENIOR (2023): Honorable mention All-Big 12 … appeared in all 14 games … punted 40 times for 1,828 yards … averaged 45.7 yards per punt, the seventh-best single-season average in program history … had 15 punts of 50-plus yards with a long of 64 … recorded 15 punts inside the 20 with nine fair catches and two touchbacks … punted twice for 89 yards with one inside the 20 in the season-opener against Rice … booted three punts for 150 yards including a 56-yarder the landed inside the 20 at No. 3 Alabama … named to the Ray’s 8 list for his performance against the Crimson Tide … punted four times against Wyoming for a season-high 193 yards against Wyoming with one inside the 20 and one fair catch … flipped the field three times of more than 50 yards against the Cowboys including a long of 56 yards … punted four times for 179 yards at Baylor … had a long of 50 yards against the Bears with one wait catch and one inside the 20 … had a punt of 38 yards against Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry that was fair caught at the OU 13-yard line … booted three punts for 159 yards at Houston with two over 50 yards, including a 59-yarder … had one punt inside the 20 against the Cougars … totaled three punts for 162 yards (54 ypp) against BYU … had two punts of 50-plus yards against the Cougars including a season-long 64-yarder … tallied four punts for 172 yards with two for 50 yards against Kansas State with two inside the 20 … totaled four punts for 157 yards at TCU … registered four punts for 171 yards at Iowa State with one landing inside the 20 and two punts for over 50 yards … punted twice for 72 yards against Texas Tech with both ending inside the 20 … had a 51-yard punt against Oklahoma State in the Big 12 Championship Game victory … named to the preseason watch list for the Ray Guy Award … chosen first-team Preseason All-Big 12 by Pro Football Focus and third-team Preseason All-Big 12 by Athlon Sports.

Anthony Sao, CB, 6-1, 200, MidAmerica Nazarene

Listed as a defensive back by MNU, Sao had 24 tackles and a sack for the Kansas University in 2023. Originally from Compton, Calif., there’s not a lot of bio information on him. The Falcons really did their homework on this one.

Austin Stogner, TE, 6-6, 258, Oklahoma

Played first three seasons at Oklahoma before transferring to South Carolina for the 2022 campaign and then back to OU for his final season … started 33 of his 59 career games (23 of 47 contests as a Sooner) and caught 84 passes for 1,060 yards and 10 touchdowns (nine TDs at OU). 2023: Started all 13 games … caught 17 passes for 196 yards and one touchdown … averaged 11.5 yards per catch … tallied at least one reception in 11 games … recipient of Alamo Bowl Sportsmanship Award … caught two passes for 26 yards vs. TCU (11/24) … recorded a 10-yard reception at BYU (11/18) … served as a game captain and registered a season-high 69 yards and a TD on four catches (including a season-long 35-yarder) vs. West Virginia (11/11) … caught three passes for 24 yards vs. Texas (10/7) … had one reception for 19 yards vs. Iowa State (9/30).

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Trey Vaval, CB, 6-0, 170, Minnesota State-Mankato

Had a kick return for a touchdown as a senior in 2023 and also posted 31 tackles with two interceptions. 2022: Played and started in all of Minnesota State’s 13 games… Tied for sixth ranked on the team with 38 total tackles… Also had 29 solo tackles and six assists… Saw a season-high of eight tackles vs. U-Mary… Was named to the D2CCA All-Super Region First Team, All NSIC First Team… All-NSIC Second team and was named NSIC Special Teams Player of the Week…Named to the D2CCA All-American Second Team…Received a Don Hansen All-American Honorable Mention.

Isaiah Wooden, WR, 5-9, 170, Southern Utah

• Appeared in all 11 games for the Thunderbirds

• Caught 61 passes for a total of 904 yards and a long of 66

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• Scored 14 touchdowns on the season



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Atlanta, GA

Mariners win battle of dueling no-hitters over Atlanta, 2-1

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Mariners win battle of dueling no-hitters over Atlanta, 2-1


We all sign up for baseball knowing that it isn’t fair. You can square up a ball perfectly and have it go for an out; you can throw a gem on the mound and still get tagged with an “L.” Perhaps nothing is more frustrating in baseball than being a pitcher and seeing how your hours of hard work can be undone with one swing.

Tonight Bryce Miller outdueled Braves starter Max Fried in every way except, unfortunately, where it counted—on the scoreboard—and the beautiful sand castle he’d spent hours painstakingly building threatened to collapse under the tidal wave of the Braves’ offense. However, Miller beat back the current, showcasing just how much he’s grown since the last time he faced these Braves, and the Mariners came through with just enough offense—not enough to give Miller a win, mind you, because as aforementioned, baseball is not fair, but enough that the Mariners were able to bank another win, which is all anyone—including Miller—really cares about.

The last time Miller faced Atlanta, in May of 2023, it was just his fourth start, but the rookie held the powerful Braves lineup at bay into the seventh inning, allowing just one run to score, working around a little traffic on the bases and striking out four. He left after allowing a leadoff base hit in the seventh and then walking a runner; both inherited runners would later score.

Tonight, Miller bested himself, this time working through the seventh inning, striking out 10 and carrying a perfect game into the sixth inning, and a no-hitter into the seventh. In a night that was maybe under-billed as a pitching duel between two of the game’s brightest young starters, Miller bested Fried in innings pitches—seven to Fried’s six—and issued just one walk to Fried’s two. He collected more whiffs, and struck out 10 to Fried’s 7. But when Miller departed the game after the seventh, he was in line for the loss, with the Mariners down 1-0.

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“Last year, if the fastball wasn’t working or if I gave up a couple hits on it, it was like, I guess I’m gonna keep throwing it and see what happens,” said Miller postgame. “But now I’ve got other stuff, and third time through, they were seeing stuff they hadn’t seen, or they hadn’t seen much of. So it’s big getting into the back half of the game.”

“That’s about as good an outing we’ve seen Bryce maybe ever have,” said Scott Servais postgame. “That was some kind of electric fastball he was featuring tonight.”

Miller went nine up and nine down in the first three innings with five strikeouts: two in the first, one in the second, and two in the third, in a nice little palindromic run. He threw seven of nine first-pitch strikes and demonstrated arguably the best command over his four-seam fastball we’ve seen yet this season. It was a vintage* (*early 2023) Bryce Miller performance, where he leaned heavily on his four-seamer, but sprinkled in his fun new toys of the two-seamer, sweeper, and splitter to pick up outs on the ground and at the plate.

Miller’s one bobble came in the seventh inning; with the perfecto gone on a walk to Travis d’Arnaud in the sixth that was just as quickly erased by former Mariner Jarred Kelenic grounding into a double play on the sweeper, Miller’s new favorite toy to deploy against lefties, Ronald Acuña Jr. opened the seventh inning with a base hit on a fastball away that Dylan Moore, playing in place of the injured J.P. Crawford, couldn’t quite corral. He then rudely stole second and third. I thought the South was all about manners?

Miller then made one of his few mistakes of the night, leaving a fastball in the middle of the plate to Ozzie Albies that would have scored Acuña from first even if he’d been wearing one of those boots they put on cars with unpaid fines. It had the makings of a kind of meltdown inning that plagued Miller at times last season. But Bryce Miller 2.0, fully loaded with new accessories, is a different animal than 2023 Bryce Miller. He came back to strike out Austin Riley looking at a perfectly located slider, nailed Matt Olson with a slider in the same location for another backwards K, and got Marcell Ozuna lunging after a slider for an easy flyout. Deep South, meet Big Tex.

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Servais called those the biggest three outs of the game. “That just shows me so much where he’s at, maturity-wise. So many guys, when they have a night like that going and it starts to get away from them, they just lose it, and he didn’t, which is a credit to him.”

“Bryce Miller, he’s a unique cat. It’s Big Tex. It’s always Big Tex. He doesn’t get too high, he doesn’t get too low, and you saw that play out tonight.”

Meanwhile, the Mariners did what they could against Max Fried, created in a lab to be a nightmare for the spin/breaking ball-allergic 2024 Mariners. They did work some counts: Rodríguez and Haniger both worked full counts in the first, and Mitch Garver actually worked a walk in the second, but he was undone by Cal Raleigh swinging through a fastball for a strikeout, Ty France lunging after a curveball for a strikeout, and Jorge Polanco actually making contact but for a soft popout. Polanco also gets a star for a ten-pitch at-bat in the fourth which ended in a strikeout, and it tells you a little bit about the quality of these other at-bats that a ten-pitch strikeout is worthy enough to note. Credit where it’s due, though: Fried’s pitch count was pushing into the sixties in the bottom of the fourth, while Bryce Miller was at a trim 46 (with 33 strikes!) headed into the top of the fifth.

However, even with Fried out of the game, the Mariners went down quietly against Pierce Johnson in the seventh, but were able to get a little traction against Joe Jiménez in the eighth when Ty France led off with a walk. With a righty on the mound, the Mariners finally let Josh Rojas out of his platoon cage, and he of course immediately got a hit and ended the no-hitter. Right now Rojas is serving the role of 2023 J.P. Crawford, bailing this team out when they desperately need people on base, and he needs to be in every game regardless of handedness.

The Mariners actually had Jiménez on the ropes, but right after Rojas broke up the no-hitter (which would have been that most grotesque of creatures, the combined no-hitter), Luis Urías struck out. I wasn’t listening, but the sound Dave Sims made was described to me as “soul-hollowing.” However, pinch-hitter Luke Raley kept hope alive by sneaking a single through virtually the same spot, loading the bases for Julio and Haniger with one out. Surely one of them could cash in the run, right? Surely not, as Julio went after a slider and popped it out to shallow left field, and Mitch Haniger—who has quietly been on a pretty rough run these past couple weeks—struck out, lunging after a slider that ended up in the other batter’s box.

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At this point, although it did not feel fair to Bryce Miller to hand him this loss, it felt fair that the Mariners would lose this game. They’d had chances, and squandered those chances. Miller had been better than Fried, but the Mariners hitters had not been better than the Braves hitters. Sometimes, that’s just how it goes.

Until it isn’t.

Braves closer Raisel Iglesias was unavailable today, having pitched yesterday, so Atlanta brought in lefty A.J. Mintner. Jorge Polanco greeted him by leaping on the first fastball he saw, lacing a base hit down the left field line. That brought up Mitch Garver, who’s been scuffling at the plate, to put it mildly. Garver got ahead 3-0, before taking a pair of pitches—one borderline, one less so—to make it a full count.

Then Minter left a cutter in the middle of the plate. And this time, Garver did not miss it.

“I think he can breathe now,” said Servais. “He got a big hit. And once you get a big hit with a new team, it does help.”

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That was Garver’s first career walkoff home run at any level, and he described it as a “relief”—not just to have ended the game, but also to have contributed during a time when he’s been scuffling at the plate.

“In a time when things aren’t going my way and I’m not feeling quite like myself, to be able to come through for the team in any way shape or form, that’s a huge W.”

Tonight Miller’s sterling outing was threatened to be undone by one swing; at the same time, Garver’s frustrating stretch of play was also undone by one good swing. It’s a good reminder that as frustrating as baseball can be, as Garver says,

“The game gives back to you at times, too.”



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Atlanta, GA

Man critically injured in southeast Atlanta shooting, police say

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Man critically injured in southeast Atlanta shooting, police say


ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – Police said a 26-year-old man was seriously injured following a shooting in southeast Atlanta Monday afternoon.

According to the Atlanta Police Department, officers responded to the 3000 block of Will Rogers Place around 3:48 p.m. after receiving reports of a person shot.

When officers arrived at the scene, they reportedly found the 26-year-old victim with multiple gunshot wounds in the wood line. Police said the victim was transported to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.

Police have not released information on what led up to the shooting and no arrests have been announced.

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This is an active investigation. Check back with Atlanta News First for updates.



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