Someone is going to break a losing streak Friday night when the Atlanta Hawks host the Boston Celtics.
The Hawks (3-15) have lost nine straight games, a slide that began Nov. 6 and continued Wednesday with a 124-108 loss to Toronto. The Celtics (9-9) have dropped three straight, including 117-109 to the New York Knicks on Wednesday.
The Hawks are a young team that anticipated a difficult season as it rebuilds under first-year coach Lloyd Pierce. The Celtics, however, were expected to be a contender, particularly after finishing second in the Eastern Conference playoffs last season.
Despite a relatively healthy roster -- Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward are back from injuries -- the Celtics have spent the season marking time.