Atlanta Hawks will take on the Miami Heat in Friday’s action of the NBA 2021-22 playoffs. The home side will search for the way back into this tie and the first win in the series. The visitors want to book the win on the road and get just one step away from the quarter-finals.
Atlanta entered the playoffs after the play-in series, but they still haven’t enjoyed much success in this tie. However, they move this series to the home court, hoping to celebrate their first win and extend the tie. On the other hand, Miami has been confident in front of its fans, and they look forward to keeping up where they left off. The away side enjoys an excellent form, and they will search for another success.
Atlanta Hawks – Can they book their first win in the series?
The Hawks have been very confident in the play-in series, but they couldn’t continue in the same fashion against Miami. They were unsuccessful in the first two matches, but the hosts hope they can do better in front of their fans. Atlanta was more competitive in Game 2, but they still failed to a 115-105 defeat. They had a solid 47.0 field goal percentage and controlled the paint having six rebounds more than their rivals. Nevertheless, poor performance in the third quarter cost them a chance to make an upset.
Bogdan Bogdanovic was excellent in Game 2, scoring 29 points, four rebounds, and three assists for 28 minutes in the game. He averages 17.5 pts in the post-season, producing one point more than Trae Young, who also tops the assists charts with 5.5. De’Andre Hunter contributes with 15 points per game in the playoffs, while John Collins controls the paint with seven rebs and 11.5 pts per contest. On the other hand, Clint Capela remains unavailable for Atlanta in this series, the same as Lou Williams.
Expected Line-Up: Trae Young, Kevin Huerter, De’Andre Hunter, John Collins, Onyeka Okongwu
with best odds
Miami Heat – Will they celebrate again?
The Heat controls this series after winning both games on the home court. They scored 115 points in each of their last two matches, celebrating a 115-105 win in the most recent one. Miami has been running hot over the past few weeks, losing just once on the previous nine occasions. They managed to crack the Hawks in the third quarter of Game 2 and had a 48.1 field goal percentage. Jimmy Butler was excellent on Tuesday evening with 45 points, five rebounds, five assists, and a pair of steals for 39 minutes on the court.
He has also been the most efficient player in the Heat’s offense during the post-season, with 33 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 2.5 steals per contest. Duncan Robinson produces 13.5 pts, while Max Strus has 11.5. Tyler Herro is still trying to find his regular-season form and contributes with only 10.5 pts per game, which is significantly lower than 20.7 points per match. Dewayne Dedmon hasn’t spent too much time on the court in the first two games, but he averages seven rebounds per match. However, Miami might face several selection issues since P.J. Tucker, Bam Adebayo, Gabe Vincent, Caleb Martin, and Markieff Morris are listed as questionable.
Expected Line-Up: Kyle Lowry, Max Strus, Jimmy Butler, Duncan Robinson, Dewayne Dedmon
Expert Pick #1 – Atlanta +1.5 @-110
I expect Atlanta to be more competitive in this one, as they have played very well in their backyard this season. The game can easily go either way, but since Miami might have selection issues, the home side could cover the number and win on Friday evening. That’s going to be my first pick.
Expert Pick #2 – Under 221.5 @-110
The Hawks are pretty productive on the home court, but Miami’s defense managed to neutralize Tyler Herro, and the first two matches were not efficient. The same trend might continue here, as the Heat won’t change the plan since it’s still working. Give me the Under as the second bet.
Expert Pick #3 – Miami Heat Under 112.5 @-120
Miami scored 115 pts in the first two games at home, but I don’t expect them to produce more than 112 in this one. They went over that margin just once in the last four encounters in Atlanta, and the Under will be my third pick here at slightly lower odds than the first two.
