Atlanta @ Chicago preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 11, 2019 ) Atlanta 102, Chicago 136

The NBA-worst Atlanta Hawks will be without star guard Trae Young when they visit the Chicago Bulls on Saturday. Young, who averages 28.5 points, left Friday's 112-86 loss to Milwaukee - the Hawks' ninth straight setback - after spraining his right ankle, and stayed in Atlanta to receive treatment.

“I rolled it pretty bad,” Young told reporters. “It hurts pretty bad right now but that’s to be expected. I came back here, got some treatment on it, iced it already.” Chicago is among the lowest-scoring teams in the NBA and that's the biggest reason why they are below the playoff line. The Bulls lost 103-95 at Orlando on Monday, falling two games behind the eighth-place Magic and to 6-6 in their last 12 games after a 6-14 start. Chicago must find more offensive support for Zach LaVine, who averages 23.6 points, although the sixth-year guard told reporters it's "not too much of a burden" to keep carrying the load.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, FS Southeast (Atlanta), NBCS Chicago

ABOUT THE HAWKS (6-26): Jabari Parker (15.4 points, 6.1 rebounds) didn't play Friday because of a shoulder injury and remains day-to-day. Second-year guard Kevin Huerter scored 12 points after recording a season-high 19 in a 121-118 loss at Cleveland on Monday and will be among the players who must pick up the slack with Young out. John Collins grabbed a season-high 16 rebounds versus Milwaukee but had nine points on 4-for-14 shooting after scoring 26 on Monday.

ABOUT THE BULLS (12-20): Lauri Markkanen is the next-highest scorer at 14.7 points and is averaging 17 while shooting 50 percent from the field in 12 December games. Wendell Carter Jr. contributes 11.7 points and a team-high 9.8 rebounds, and shoots 54.9 percent from the floor but takes only 8.25 shots per game. Tomas Satoransky is the club's top assist man at 5.3 and has raised his average to 10 points after scoring 53 in the last three games.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Chicago forces a league-best 17.7 turnovers.

2. Atlanta C Alex Len (8.3 points, 5.2 rebounds) missed Friday's game with an ankle injury.

3. The Bulls won the first two meetings this season by a combined 54 points, including 136-102 on Dec. 11 when LaVine scored 35 points in three quarters.

PREDICTION: Bulls 114, Hawks 84