The Atlanta Hawks have to be a bit thrown off by the turbulence in the strength of their recent schedule. One day, it’s the HEAT, the next game it’s the Magic. Then they get the Spurs, followed by the Bucks. Before the Pistons come to town on Wednesday, the Hawks spend tonight wrangling with Kevin Durant and the red-hot Oklahoma City Thunder (8:00 PM Eastern, SportSouth, FoxSports Oklahoma). Or, should that read, red-hot Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder?

The Georgia Lottery mascot goat may be the only “Kevin” out there blazing more fire than Durant right now. Not having to defer as much with Russell Westbrook recovering from knee surgery, KD has surged to the front of the MVP race with an uncanny 36.5 points per game (53.5 FG%) in the month of January, accompanied by 6.2 assists per game.

Durantula has spun off a wicked web of ten consecutive games with 30 or more points, and is now the league’s only player averaging more than 30 PPG. He’s the author of the league’s only two 30+10+10 triple-doubles this season, the most recent coming in Saturday’s win, OKC’s seventh-straight, at Philadelphia (32 points, season-high 14 rebounds, 10 assists) despite a bothersome right shoulder. Defensive-minded Andre Iguodala and Nicolas Batum have each been broasted in this recent stretch by KD (54 points versus Golden State; 48 against Portland).

Durant (88.3 FT%, 6^th in NBA) senses when his jumper (team-leading 2.1 threes per game and 41.0 3FG%) is a tad offline. He compensates by attacking the rim relentlessly and drawing fouls, averaging 12 free throws per game this month while shooting 89.1 FT%. Despite shooting just 9-for-21 from the floor at Philips Arena on December 10, he shot 11-for-15 from the charity stripe to carry the day in a 101-92 Thunder victory over the Hawks.

KD’s true shooting percentage of 64.3% ranks third in the league, behind LeBron James and a shade behind Atlanta’s Kyle Korver (64.7%). DeMarre Carroll will have to be obstructive, but he must also get help from teammates in denying Durant the ball on the low block and picking off his passes.

Durant’s received ample support in the paint from Serge Ibaka (53.0 FG%; 2.5 BPG, 3^rd in NBA; five blocks in three of his past four games) and the three-headed hydra of starter Kendrick Perkins, pick-and-roll perfectionist Nick Collison, and lotto rookie Steven Adams. Meanwhile, Reggie Jackson (15.1 PPG and 5.0 APG as a starter, 88.1 FT%, 7^th in NBA) has filled in admirably in Westbrook’s absence, although his shot selection has been questionable at times (42.6 FG% as a starter; 46.4% as a reserve). Norcross’ Jeremy Lamb has been a solid scorer in his second season off the bench (16.2 points per-36; 7.0 turnover percentage, 5^th best in NBA).

All-Star reserve voting by coaches has concluded, and Paul Millsap’s Eastern Conference Player-of-the-Week performance (21.3 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 2.5 SPG, 2.0 BPG) surely has bolstered his chances for wild card consideration. His production in the past week certainly pales in comparison to Durant, the Western Conference winner. But in a frail Eastern Conference, despite a career-low 49.0 2FG%, his career-high 17.7 PPG, 2.9 APG and 1.2 BPG will impress coaches who watched him lug the 3^rd-seeded Hawks (23-20) along without Al Horford around for the past month.

As for OKC, Ibaka’s fate as an All-Star reserve will remain unknown until Thursday evening. Yet the top-seeded Thunder still has a strong motivation to come away victorious tonight. Thanks to the late surge, Head Coach Scott Brooks will have a chance at clinching the All-Star coaching gig for the Western Conference if his Thunder remains atop the standings by Sunday. Since Gregg Popovich coached last year’s ASG and isn’t eligible, a win tonight is important if OKC (35-10) hopes to get Brooks the nod ahead of Terry Stotts, whose Blazers sit two games behind them.

It’s the last game in the Sooner State this week, as the Thunder will embark on a three-games-in-four-night East Coast road swing that concludes on Super Bowl Sunday. As was the case for the Spurs, the Hawks will be a warmup act for the Thunder’s next game in Miami. Then they’ll get the scorching Nets, in Brooklyn, and the Wizards on back-to-back nights.

Perkins doesn’t look like much lately, but he's not needed for his feeble offense. Opponents at the rim are shooting a league-low 36.8 FG% against him. With his help, seal-tight defense from Durant, Westbrook, and Ibaka made for tough sledding for the Hawks (35.6 team FG%) back on December 10, particularly for Millsap (23 points, 5-for-18 FGs), Al Horford (3-for-10), DeMarre Carroll (2-for-10), and Jeff Teague (17 points, 5-for-15, 6 assists and 4 turnovers).

Thunder opponents shoot a league-low 34.9 FG% in the paint (non-restricted area) and 56.5 FG% around the rim (3^rd lowest in NBA), along with 33.3% on corner threes (2^nd lowest in NBA). Mid-range (37.9 opponent FG%, 5^th lowest in NBA) and above-the-break threes (18.2 opponent shots per game, 2^nd most; 34.6 opponent FG%, 9^th lowest) are about the closest thing OKC have to what could be called chinks in their defensive armor.

In the December loss, one Hawk who did break through OKC’s impervious D was Shelvin Mack (17 points, 7-for-9 FGs, 3-for-5 3FGs, 6 assists, 2 turnovers), who will get another start in place of the injured Teague. Mack may be able to exert offensive pressure off the dribble against Jackson, forcing the Thunder to adjust and opening up teammates for mid-range shots and threes. Korver (49.0 2FG% outside the paint, 3^rd in NBA; 43.9 3FG% above the break, 7^th in NBA) is an obvious target for both zones. Mack and Korver should seek out Carroll, Millsap, and reserves (Elton Brand, Lou Williams, and/or Mike Scott) as release valves whenever Korver (1-for-6 on threes, back on December 10) is getting hounded by defensive maven Thabo Sefolosha or Durant.

Forcing Durant to work on defense interchangeably between Korver and Millsap can only be beneficial to Atlanta’s chances of stealing one in OKC and earning the season’s first road win against an impressive opponent.

Now among the best free-throw-shooting teams in the NBA, the Hawks (84.2 January FT%, best in NBA; 18.5 January free throws made, 2^nd in East) will have to draw shooting fouls and convert against the Thunder, whose opponents have shot a league-low 71.1 FT%, including 67.1 percent in Loud City. With rabid fans applying the thunder to Thundersticks, OKC has been the only NBA town where foes are shooting below 70 percent from the line.

Go Hawks!

~lw3