NBA Play-In Game Picks – Atlanta Hawks @ Miami Heat

NBA Play-In Game Picks – Atlanta Hawks @ Miami Heat

By Thomas Quaynor – NBA analyst for Wannamakeabet.com

The 8th seed Atlanta Hawks (41-41) visit the 7th seed Miami Heat (44-38) in an Eastern Conference Play-In game. The winner advances to the playoffs as the seventh seed and will face the second seed Boston Celtics in the first round of the playoffs. The loser will face the winner of the Toronto-Chicago play-in game to determine the eight seed. Miami is a 5-point favorite and the total is 226.5. Miami won the regular season series 3-1, all four games were decided by eight points or less. These teams met in the first round of the playoffs last season with top-seeded Miami disposing of ninth seeded Atlanta in five games. 

THE SKINNY ON BOTH TEAMS

Two years ago, the Atlanta Hawks made a surprising run to the Eastern Conference Finals as the fifth seed. After tumbling to ninth place last season with a 43-39 record and losing to Miami in the first round, Altanta acquired Spurs All-Star guard Dejounte Murray in a blockbuster trade. Atlanta envisioned the young, dynamic backcourt of Murray and Trae Young would lead them to the upper-tier of the Eastern Conference, but they ended up with two less wins this season and in the play-in round again. Atlanta also fired head coach Nate McMillan in February, it was rumored that he did not get along with Trae Young. 

Despite the disappointing regular season, Atlanta’s backcourt was stellar as Trae Young averaged 26.2 pts, 10.2 asts and 1.1 stls across 72 games and Dejounte Murray put up 20.5 pts, 6.1 asts, 5.3 rebs and 1.5 stls across 74 games. Both of them did struggle a bit against Miami in the four regular season games, Young’s scoring average dipped to 19.8 and he shot 35.6 percent from the field, while Murray’s scoring dropped slightly to 18.5. Fourth year swingman De’Andre Hunter (who Atlanta selected fourth overall in the 2019 draft) had his best year in the NBA putting up career highs in points per game (15.4) and games played (67), he’s also the Hawks best perimeter defender.

Last season, the Miami Heat went 53-29 and made it all the way to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals, this season ended with nine fewer wins and a seventh place, play-in round finish. The decrease in wins is surprising when you consider most of the players from last year’s team returned. Miami’s top three players all averaged 20+ ppg this season, led by 6-time All-Star Jimmy Butler’s 22.9 pts, 5.9 rebs 5.3 asts and 1.8 stls. Bam Adebayo averaged 20.4 pts, 9.2 rebs and 1.2 stls and Tyler Herro contributed 20.1 pts, 5.4 rebs and 4.2 asts. Miami did end the season on a high note by winning four of five, including a 28-point win at Philadelphia last Thursday.

THE PICK

Miami has 7 of 9 against Atlanta, and there are rumors that Atlanta is looking to trade Trae Young in the offseason, I think Miami wins this one easily…Lay the 5 with Miami!!