Hawks rest all 5 starters Sunday vs. Wizards

"Spurs East" are pulling an old trick from San Antonio's playbook.

The Atlanta Hawks will rest all five starters when they take on the Washington Wizards on Sunday, as Jeff Teague, Kyle Korver, DeMarre Carroll, Paul Millsap (who has a shoulder injury) and Al Horford will sit out, Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

The Hawks will turn to a starting five of Dennis Schroder, John Jenkins, Kent Bazemore, Mike Muscala and Elton Brand.

For the Hawks, the gambit is this: they have locked down the top seed in the Eastern Conference and finding some much-needed rest for their starting players is crucial with the playoffs around the corner.

The Hawks also play the New York Knicks on Monday in the second leg of a back-to-back. Given that the Knicks sit in the bottom of the East, there's a strong chance of the Hawks giving their starters yet another game off.