Streaking Hawks, Wizards clash in key showdown

ATLANTA -- Two months ago, the Atlanta Hawks and Washington Wizards were simply concerned with survival. Now they're both jockeying for homecourt advantage in the playoffs.

The Hawks host the Wizards on Friday at Philips Area. They currently hold fourth place in the NBA Eastern Conference, 1 1/2 games ahead of Washington.

But Atlanta has bigger dreams; the Hawks trail Toronto by a game and Boston by a half-game in the East, and want to keep climbing.

"Right now we have an opportunity to really gain some ground," Atlanta center Dwight Howard said. "I think that is what everybody is focused on."

Such aspirations seemed unlikely for either team earlier this season. Washington got out of the gate with a 2-8 start under first-year coach Scott Brooks. After starting the season 9-2, the Hawks endured a 1-10 streak.

Both have recovered nicely; Atlanta (27-19) has won 12 of its last 15, while Washington (25-20) has won eight of its last 10.

The Hawks are coming off an impressive 119-114 road win against the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday. Atlanta trailed by 10 points with 3:02 remaining when it knocked down three consecutive 3-pointers and closed the game by outscoring the Bulls 19-4. Atlanta was 17-for-30 on 3-pointers, the third-most in team history, in beating the Bulls for the seventh straight time.

"We hit some big shots," Howard said. "We stayed composed. It shows our growth as a team."

Atlanta has gotten a recent offensive boost from Kent Bazemore. The guard struggled with his shot earlier this season but has averaged 19 points over the last three games, including a season-high 25 against the Clippers.

Washington has gotten exceptional play from guard John Wall, who had 27 points, seven assists and seven rebounds in Tuesday's 123-108 win over Boston. He averages 23 points, 10.2 assists and 4.5 rebounds.

"He's as good as any guard in the conference," Brooks said. "The other 14 coaches have a tough decision when voting all-stars."

Teammate Bradley Beal deserves All-Star consideration, too. He scored 31 against the Celtics, averages 21.6 points and has led the team in scoring 16 times.

"I think we're the best backcourt in the league," Beal said. "The way we're going, we're both playing at a high level right now, we're staying healthy, we're a tough tandem to deal with."

The Bullets have struggled on the road, going 6-14 away from the Verizon Center. Atlanta is 13-9 at Philips Arena.

Atlanta is likely to be without reserve forward Mike Muscala, who has missed six straight games with a sprained ankle.

It will be the third meeting of the season between the two clubs. Atlanta won the first game 114-99 and Washington prevailed 95-92 in the rematch, with each team winning at home. The final meeting will come March 22 in Washington.