Hawks vs. Bulls Live Notebook

Keep track of the most important insights and observations from Wednesday's game.

A night removed from its biggest win of the season, the Hawks wrap up a home back-to-back Wednesday night against the Chicago Bulls at 7:30. Chicago is also on the second leg of a back-to-back, having lost to the Lakers last night, and enters this game with a 2-6 record. 

The Bulls --projected in roughly the same range as the Hawks prior to the start of the year -- were a popular preseason pick to sneak into the playoffs, but have sputtered out of the gate. They have lost to the Hornets, Knicks, Cavaliers, and Pistons -- four of the worst teams in the league -- and nearly every rotation player has struggled to score efficiently. 

The Hawks, meanwhile, will play their second of 25 games without John Collins, and Jabari Parker will once again start in his stead. Head coach Lloyd Pierce said pregame that Trae Young's minutes restriction has been lifted, while Kevin Huerter and De'Andre Hunter are available to play up to 30-35 minutes. Cam Reddish, who had been listed as questionable earlier in the day with shoulder soreness, will play. 

In the frontcourt, Pierce said he expects to continue using all three centers -- Alex Len, Bruno Fernando, and Damian Jones -- with one playing around 20 minutes and the others closer to 10 or 12. 

First Quarter

• After three consecutive scoring possessions to start the game, the Hawks look really sloppy early. Two turnovers through the first 3:31, both of which were preventable. The Bulls are pressuring the ball well, including trapping pick-and-rolls high on the floor, but Atlanta hasn't been as steady under pressure as it was last night. 
• Bruno Fernando is the first Atlanta center off the bench. The balance between him, Len, and Damian Jones will be the most interesting rotational dynamic to track tonight. 
• The Hawks' offense is a bit out of sync early. They're up to four turnovers at the 4:47 mark, including one a moment ago when Young threw a pass intended to hit Jabari Parker slipping a screen, but Parker popped to the wing instead, and the Bulls took it the other way. The defense has somehow been even worse; Atlanta isn't providing much resistance right now and the Bulls are scoring 1.38 points per possession. Chicago leads 22-12. 
• Another strange turnover, this time from Vince Carter trying to find Damian Jones on the roll. The Bulls take it back the other way and get the benefit of what looked like an incorrect goaltending call on Jones. Carter answers with a pull-up 3 and the Bulls lead 30-15. 
• The Bulls lead, 33-19, after one. The Hawks are posting a 67.9 offensive rating and 43.2 true shooting percentage while the Bulls put up 71.7 and 122.2, respectively. Not great! 

Second Quarter

• This should come as no surprise, but the Hawks commit another careless turnover as Trae Young turns his head too soon receiving a five-foot outlet pass from Carter. The next possession, DeAndre' Bembry tries to kick to Young for a corner 3 but leads him too far, and the ball caroms out of bounds. Atlanta is 2-of-12 from 3. 
• Meanwhile, Kevin Huerter is starting to get going as a slasher. The Hawks could use him getting into a rhythm as he's struggled shooting this season. 
• Bruno Fernando is getting some run with the starters in place of Alex Len. This might be Atlanta's best group with Collins out (perhaps Huerter or Bembry would be a better alternative for Reddish) and should probably play more time than it does. 
• Atlanta has shown a little more life over the last few minutes with Carter and Bembry on the floor. The offense is still a slog, but the Hawks look slightly better on defense. 
• Trae Young is having to work really hard to get the ball back on offense. Once he gives it up the first time, Chicago is pressuring hard and denying the ball to make his touches difficult to come by. 
• Big sequence to end the half as Young misses a deep pull-up and the Bulls come down and find an open Tomáš Satoransky for a corner 3. Six-point swing gives Chicago a 56-41 lead at halftime. 

Third Quarter

• Otto Porter isn't out there to start the third due to a left foot contusion; Chandler Hutchison is in his place. Porter will not return. 
• Meanwhile, De'Andre Hunter gets yanked at the 10:42 mark of the quarter. He is not in foul trouble and didn't appear to be injured. This game could get away from Atlanta quickly as the Bulls lead 65-43 with the momentum in their favor. 
• Jabari Parker hits a 3 to get the Chicago lead below 20 and sinks the ensuing free throw. DeAndre' Bembry follows it up with a steal and drawn foul. If the Hawks are going to make a push, it needs to start soon. 65-49 Bulls. 
• The Hawks hit 20 turnovers for the night -- this quarter has been especially disastrous -- to go down 24. Trae Young is back in the game, but it's hard to see him swinging the game back in Atlanta's favor at this point. 
• It's hard to come up with many Hawks who have played well in this one. As a team, Atlanta is posting a 79.3 offensive rating and 52.4 true shooting percentage while turning the ball over on more than a quarter of its possessions. The Hawks are 4-of-20 from 3 to Chicago's 11-of-25, and the Bulls lead 91-65 after three. 

Fourth Quarter

• It has not been a good defensive game for Jabari Parker, even by his standards. He has 18 points on 6-of-12 shooting, but has been virtually nonexistent on the other end. 
• Parker's individual performance, however, shouldn't obscure how bad the rest of the Hawks have been on defense. Young looks like he did as a rookie, Atlanta's wings are getting blown by consistently, and even Hunter hasn't has his usual positive effect. Nothing for the Hawks to do but put this one behind them and look ahead to Friday night against the Kings.