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Al Horford a late scratch Tuesday due to illness

Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

No matter the outcome, the loser of Tuesday's showdown between Eastern Conference contenders will have an excuse.

Al Horford will sit out as the Atlanta Hawks take on the Cleveland Cavaliers, getting scratched at the very last minute due to illness. Horford joins LeBron James on the sidelines, with Pero Antic drawing the start in his place.

It's possible Horford could still appear since he's in uniform and active, but his late removal from the starting lineup strongly suggests he's taking the night off. This will mark the first time all season Horford has missed a game for the 22-8 Hawks, an important streak considering he was returning from a torn pectoral muscle.

In those 30 games, Horford is averaging 14.6 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.5 blocks, numbers that are somewhat modest compared to what he's produced over the past two seasons, but it's difficult to argue with the team-level results.

Antic starting may not be the worst thing in the short-run for the Hawks, as they've actually played better with Antic on the floor than with Horford. In 23 outings, Antic is averaging 5.5 points in 16.6 minutes and shooting just 39.3 percent from the floor. That's apparently of little concern, as the Hawks have been 9.9 points per-100 possessions better with him than without him.

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