Hawks-Warriors Preview

Golden State has ascended to elite status under first-year coach Steve Kerr, and Klay Thompson's career-best season is a major reason why the Warriors sit atop the NBA standings. Fellow sharpshooter Kyle Korver has been instrumental in the surprising Atlanta Hawks' rise to the top of the Eastern Conference. Thompson is posting career highs in points per game (21.9), field-goal percentage (46.3) and 3-point percentage (43.5) in his fourth season, most notably making headlines with an NBA-record 37 third-quarter points on his way to a personal-best 52 in a win over Sacramento on Jan. 23. The league's fourth-best 3-point shooter finished with 26 points as the Warriors (53-13) beat the Los Angeles Lakers 108-105 on Monday, but he sprained his right ankle and played the fourth quarter with it heavily taped.