The Hawks will rest forward De’Andre Hunter on the first night of back-to-back games. They also could see the return of wing Vit Krejci.
On the team’s latest injury report, the Hawks ruled out Hunter ahead of their Sunday matinee game in Portland against the Trail Blazers at the Moda Center.
According to a person familiar with the situation, Hunter did not have any setbacks following his return to the lineup Friday night against the Wizards. But with the team beginning its four-game, seven-day West Coast trip with back-to-back games, the Hawks opted for a cautious approach.
The team has taken the approach of sitting recently returned players when faced with back-to-back games. The Hawks expect Hunter, who missed 10 of the past 11, to return to the rotation Monday night for their game against the Kings in Sacramento.
While the Hawks will not have Hunter on Sunday, they could see the return of Krejci. They upgraded the wing from out to questionable after he left the team’s third game of the season in the third quarter with a right adductor strain.
Krejci has missed the past 10 games, but the team recently assigned him to its G League affiliate, the College Park Skyhawks, so that he could get some extra practice time.
Krejci gives the Hawks another ballhandler and more defensive depth on the perimeter after playing shorthanded.
Two key players remain on the injury report, but the Hawks announced last week that their medical team would re-evaluate them sometime this week.
They upgraded guard Kobe Bufkin (right shoulder sublaxation) from out to doubtful. Bogdan Bogdanovic (right hamstring tendinopathy) remains out.
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