Atlanta @ Phoenix preview

Last Meeting ( Mar 28, 2017 ) Phoenix 91, Atlanta 95

The Atlanta Hawks are beginning to play better and are trying to crawl out of the basement in the Eastern Conference, but winning on the road still eludes them. The Hawks will try to win on the road for the first time in a month when they open a five-game trip by visiting the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday.

Atlanta last won on the road Dec. 2 at Brooklyn but won three of its last four games overall -- with the lone loss coming at Toronto on Friday -- to finally reach double figures in victories. The recent surge is being sparked by point guard Dennis Schroder, who averaged 25.3 points on 53.7 percent shooting in the three wins but slumped to 14 on 6-of-20 shooting in the loss at the Raptors. The return of Devin Booker helped elevate the Suns to back-to-back wins, but the defense remains a work in progress. Booker scored 32 points on Sunday, but Phoenix allowed the Philadelphia 76ers to shoot 55.8 percent from the field in a 123-110 home loss, just the team's third setback in its last eight games.

TV: 9 p.m. ET, FS Southeast (Atlanta), FS Arizona (Phoenix)

ABOUT THE HAWKS (10-26): Second-year small forward Taurean Prince kept Atlanta in the game on Friday with a career-high 30 points on 12-of-16 shooting against Toronto and continued his high level of play the next night. Prince did not light up the scoreboard in quite the same fashion in a 104-89 win over the Portland Trail Blazers but buried four 3-pointers and grabbed 10 rebounds to go with five assists. Prince scored in double figures in 11 of the 15 games in December and is one of seven players on the roster averaging double figures, led by Schroder's 19.8 points.

ABOUT THE SUNS (14-24): Sunday's loss did little to diminish the team's high regard for itself internally, and the players believe a young roster led by Booker and TJ Warren is starting to turn the corner toward contender status. "I don't think people realize how close we are," veteran forward Jared Dudley told the Arizona Republic. "We are knocking on the front door." Warren finished up December with 28 points against the 76ers -- his highest total of the month -- and is averaging 24.4 points on 55.4 percent shooting over the last five games.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Suns C Tyson Chandler recorded his third double-double of the season with 10 points and 11 rebounds on Sunday.

2. Hawks PF Mike Muscala (ankle) has been out since Nov. 3 but could make his return on Tuesday.

3. The home team took each of the last five in the series, with Atlanta last winning in Phoenix on March 13, 2015.

PREDICTION: Suns 120, Hawks 103