Miami Heat will meet the Atlanta Hawks in Game 5 of the NBA 2021-22 playoffs on Tuesday evening. The hosts want to end this series on the first available opportunity in front of their fans. The away side didn’t play well in the previous encounter, and they need to do much better in this one to extend the series.
Miami managed to snatch an away win in their previous game, and they are now just one win away from the quarter-finals. The home side is full of confidence, and they look forward to producing another good performance. On the other hand, Atlanta wasn’t competitive in the first two matches of the series at FTX Arena. If they want to stay in the game, the visitors need to give their best shot here.
Miami Heat – Will they finish the job here?
Despite losing in Game 3 after a dramatic finish, the Heat managed to bounce back and increase their lead in this series. They are now 3-1 ahead, and the hosts have an excellent chance to book their ticket for the quarter-finals. Miami controlled the previous match from the very start, and they were 14 points ahead already at halftime. Thanks to their experience in Game 3, the Heat didn’t let themselves get complacent. Miami had a solid 43.5 field goal percentage and combined with domination in the paint and just seven turnovers, it was the right recipe for victory.
Jimmy Butler has been excellent during the post-season, producing 30.5 points, 7.8 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and a team-high 2.8 steals per match. Max Strus contributes with 13.8 pts in the playoffs, while Tyler Herro averages 12 points, 4.5 rebs, and three assists per contest. P.J. Tucker and Bam Adebayo also produce 10+ pts per game on average, while Victor Oladipo tops the rebounds charts with eight per match. Besides Kyle Lowry, who is questionable for this encounter, all other players should be available.
Expected Line-Up: Gabe Vincent, Max Strus, Jimmy Butler, P.J. Tucker, Bam Adebayo
with best odds
Atlanta Hawks – Can they improve their performance?
The Hawks couldn’t capitalize on their great turnaround in Game 3 and an excellent momentum, and they were not competitive enough on Sunday evening. They were leveled with their opponents only in the first quarter, but the Hawks were trailing 14 points at halftime. Atlanta is now just one win away from elimination, but they don’t want the series to end here. However, the visitors need to improve their shooting since they had just a 40.0 percentage. Atlanta also had more than double turnovers more than their rivals and seven rebounds less than the Heat.
De’Andre Hunter has been the most efficient player in the Hawks’ offense with 17.8 points, while Trae Young is limited to 16.5 pts, six assists, and 4.3 rebs per contest. Bogdan Bogdanovic produces 14.3 points per game in the playoffs, followed by 4.8 rebounds and three assists. Kevin Knox II and John Collins are the other two players that have a double-digit number of points per match on average. Regarding the selection issues, Lou Williams remains on the injury list, while others should be ready to make appearances.
Expected Line-Up: Trae Young, Kevin Huerter, De’Andre Hunter, John Collins, Clint Capela
Expert Pick #1 – Miami Heat -7.5 @-110
Miami is a firm favorite in this one, and I expect them to book a valuable victory and proceed to the quarter-finals. They should be confident enough to cover the nut as well and beat the Hawks by at least eight points. Therefore, I’ll back them ATS as my first pick.
Expert Pick #2 – Under 217.5 @-110
The Under has cashed quite often for both teams, and it was the case in five of Miami’s last six, as well as in the Hawks’ previous six games. This one shouldn’t be much different, and I believe these two sides won’t produce more than 217 points in total.
Expert Pick #3 – Atlanta Hawks Under 104.5 @-105
Atlanta was pretty poor in the offense in the previous match, and I don’t see them being capable of improving their numbers significantly. Miami’s defense should be solid enough to keep them under a 104.5 margin. The odds are slightly higher than in the first two picks, and this one will be my second alternative for this matchup.
