2012 NBA schedule: Hawks can gain on division rival on Friday

The weekend NBA schedule sees the Atlanta Hawks in action twice, facing the Charlotte Bobcats on Friday night, followed by the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday night.

The Hawks risk becoming another victim of the Bobcats' surprising start on Friday night. Both teams are 6-4, but where Atlanta picked up six wins in their first nine games of the 2011-2012 season, it took Charlotte 40. The Hawks are fifth in the league in scoring defense, so they have a good chance at derailing Charlotte's momentum and gaining a game on their division rival. The game starts at 7 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on SportsSouth.

The Hawks return home for Saturday night's game against LA. The 8-3 Clippers are also off to a fast start, and their third-ranked offense will pose a significant challenge for Atlanta's defense. The Clippers have scored less than 100 points only twice this season, although one of those was against the Hawks. The two teams met on Nov. 11, with the Clippers winning, 89-76. Saturday's game starts at 7 p.m. ET and will also be broadcast on SportsSouth.

In other games of interest in the Southeast division, the Miami Heat play the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Bobcats play the Washington Wizards, with both games at 7 p.m. on Saturday. A complete NBA schedule is available at SI.com.