San Antonio @ Atlanta preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 20, 2017 ) Atlanta 85, San Antonio 96

Kawhi Leonard is back just in time for the San Antonio Spurs, who begin a stretch of four of their next six games on the road Monday at the Atlanta Hawks looking to make a move in the Western Conference standings. The Spurs stand six games behind West leader Golden State and are just 10-13 away from home this season, but Leonard scored 19 points with eight rebounds and four steals in 28 minutes Saturday as San Antonio cruised to a 112-80 home rout of Denver.

“I need to string some games together,” Leonard told reporters after just his ninth appearance of this season - a shoulder strain sidelining him for the previous three games after he missed the first 27 contests with a right quadriceps injury. The Spurs also saw Tony Parker and Danny Green start Saturday, and now head to Atlanta to face a Hawks team sporting the NBA’s worst record. The Hawks have dropped five of their past six games, falling 110-105 at home Friday to Brooklyn despite guard Dennis Schroder’s career-high 34 points. “As a competitor, you go out there and give it your all for 48 minutes,” Atlanta guard/forward Kent Bazemore told the media after the Hawks were outscored 6-0 in the final 52 seconds.

TV: 3 p.m. ET, NBATV, FS Southwest (San Antonio), FS Southeast (Atlanta

ABOUT THE SPURS (29-15): Forward Davis Bertans hit six 3-pointers Saturday, matching a career high he established Monday, and is averaging 16 points on 12-of-18 from 3-point range in his past three games. Forward LaMarcus Aldridge leads San Antonio in scoring at 22.4 points per game while missing only two games this season, and has a team-best 17 double-doubles. Despite the injuries, the Spurs are second in the NBA in points allowed per game (97.8).

ABOUT THE HAWKS (11-31): Schroder leads Atlanta in scoring at 20.1 points per game and has made 23 of his past 24 free throws, but committed a critical turnover with five seconds left in the loss to Brooklyn. Bazemore finished with 16 points Friday and has averaged 14.5 across his past four games. The Hawks rank fifth in the NBA in 3-point shooting (37.7 percent) with 10-plus made 3-pointers in each of their past four games.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. San Antonio’s projected starting lineup in preseason played together Saturday for just the sixth time this season.

2. The Hawks play eight of their next nine games at home, where they are 7-12.

3. Aldridge scored 22 points with 11 rebounds to lead the Spurs by the Hawks 96-85 on Nov. 20, while Atlanta rookie F John Collins finished with 21 points and nine rebounds.

PREDICTION: Spurs 107, Hawks 96