Atlanta Hawks at Pacers: Game thread

Indianapolis–Larry Drew ruled out Al Horford returning before the end of the regular season: “What I’ve been told he’s definitely out for the regular season and there is a possibility [of return] for the playoffs.” Al has said he should know more about his timetable when he returns to see his doctor next week.

• Joe Johnson (knee) and Willie Green (back) are out. Tracy McGrady (knee) and Jerry Stackhouse (ill) are active. Jeff Foster (back) is out for the Pacers.
• Joe plans to play at some point during the trip. Drew: “Right now we don’t know [when]. We are just going off how he feels. He has his good days, he has some bad days. It was his decision and our decision to allow that thing to heal to at least get to the point where he can play with a little bit more consistency [and] where the knee feels good. Since we shut him down it feels better. Right now the focus is to get him stronger.”
• McGrady said he has to manage his surgically-repaired left knee: “It doesn’t do very well on the back-to-backs. I didn’t have my balance and planted it wrong [vs. the Thunder]. It was already sore before the game.” Drew: “I don’t think he’s 100 percent but he feels like he can go. We will see how he looks.”
• Stackhouse ended up traveling with the team Monday. “It was some kind of food poisoning or something,” he said. ” Yesterday was not a good day.”
• I’ve covered a lot of games in this building, both with the Heat and Hawks, and I can tell you what’s likely going to happen: The Pacers are going to beat up on the Hawks and there are not going to be many whistles. That’s just how it is.
• Drew: “This team, they play very physical at home. The last time we were here at this building, they physically took us out of what we wanted to do. Our last meeting at our place we kind of turned the tides. Anytime you play against an Indiana team, because they are so big and athletic, you have to match the physicality. That certainly will be the case tonight.”

Michael Cunningham, Hawks beat