The Atlanta Hawks entered play against the Denver Nuggets on Saturday night needing a win to boost their confidence. The team was wrapping up a brief, three-game homestand in which they dropped the first two games to the Golden State Warriors and the Washington Wizards. A victory would be beneficial as they head out to play all three of next week’s games on the road.
Denver entered the contest with the best record in the Western Conference, but they were playing on a road back to back and facing their third game in the last four nights. They were also shorthanded.