The Atlanta Hawks (4-2) and the Chicago Bulls (3-3) square off at the CenturyLink Center Omaha on Oct. 20, Thursday for their final match in the 2016-2017 NBA Preseason Games.
Start Time and Streaming Info
The game starts at 8:00 p.m. ET. It can be viewed live online thru the NBA League Pass.
Preview
Atlanta has a superb preseason so far, winning four of their first six games. Head coach Mike Budenholzer had seen the effects of having Dwight Howard in his crew and the veteran mentor and team executive certainly liked what he saw.
Howard had dominated in the preseason during the games he had played, including the one when they beat the reigning champions Cleveland Cavaliers, 99-93, at the Philips Arena on Oct. 10.
The eight-time NBA All-Star had a monstrous performance, scoring 26 points on 11-for-15 shooting, grabbing eight boards, and registering two shot blocks in only 24 minutes.
Dennis Schroeder is now the starting point guard with Jeff Teague moving to Indiana and the Germany native has been thriving with his new role. Kyle Korver is a steady presence in the wings, although he only played little in the preseason.
The real surprise is power forward Mike Muscala, who had contributed consistently in the four games he appeared in. He had 10 points, three rebounds, and five assists in 24 minutes during the win over the Cavs, which is solid for an incoming fourth-year role player.
Meanwhile, the Bulls are shaky throughout the preseason as the Big Three of Dwyane Wade, Rajon Rondo, and Jimmy Butler have only played together thrice in six games, with each one of them ending in losses.
The chemistry between the trio is evidently still not there as each one played individually well when only two of each of them are together.
It would be interesting to see how head coach Fred Hoiberg will make the three, who all have the inclination to hold on to the basketball, co-exist during the regular season.
Wade is still his spectacular self when he does play, especially when paired with Rondo only, scoring 22 and 11 points. During the games with Butler, he had six and 10 points.
It may be too early to predict whether the combination will combust or not, but at the moment, things are not looking good for Hoiberg and the Bulls.
Prediction
The Hawks should win if Howard is around. The combination of Wade, Rondo, and Butler have all resulted in losses, but they might break the trend this time.
