The Miami Heat’s supporting players, along with Goran “The Dragon” Dragic, got hot when it mattered as they withstood the absence of Dwyane Wade and Hassan Whiteside to claim a much-needed win. While Wade is set to return, Whiteside’s injury could see the Heat shorthanded for their visit to the conference-leading Atlanta Hawks.
The wobbling Hawks ended their longest losing skid of the season with a win in Orlando. They will now look to protect their imposing homecourt, which is the second-best in the league thus far, from the ever-dangerous Heat. Read on as we preview this Eastern Conference showcase.
Friday will be a big hoops day, with the second half of the Sweet 16 to be decided. Check out our previews of some of the top games for that day in Gonzaga vs. UCLA and Duke vs. Utah.
[sc:NBAArticles ]Miami Heat vs. Atlanta Hawks Preview
Where: Philips Arena, Atlanta
When: Friday, March 27, 2015, 7:30 PM ET
Line: Miami Heat at Atlanta Hawks – view all NBA lines
Betting on the Miami Heat
The Miami Heat put their devastating loss at the buzzer to the Milwaukee Bucks the previous night behind them to beat the Boston Celtics, 93-86. With leading scorer Dwyane Wade (knee) and leading rebounder Hassan Whiteside (lacerated hand) both out of the lineup, a host of unsung heroes stepped up to finally end the Heat’s five-game road losing skid.
[sc:NBA240banner ]Goran Dragic led the team with 22 points, while Udonis turned back the clock with 12 points and 12 rebounds. Luol Deng added 15 points, and free agent pickups Henry Walker and Tyler Johnson each added 12 apiece from the wings.
Wade was left out of the lineup at Boston only as a precaution – it was the second night of a back-to-back – so he should be ready to return against Atlanta. Wade has been simply sensational this month, averaging 25 points on 50 percent shooting in the 11 games he’s played.
Wade has put up equally spectacular numbers against the Hawks this season, averaging 25 points on 54 percent from the field in two games against the East’s top team.
Whiteside, though, is doubtful to return as quickly, and his absence would be a major blow to the Heat’s chances. Whiteside, who’s the team’s leading rebounder with 10 boards per game, pulled down a season-high 24 rebounds in his lone meeting with Atlanta last month.
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Betting on the Atlanta Hawks
After enduring a brutal three-game gauntlet against the Warriors, Thunder and Spurs (the first two on the road) which resulted in their first three-game losing skid of the year, the Hawks finally returned to winning ways with a 95-83 win over the Orlando Magic.
Paul Millsap, the team’s most consistent performer this month with 17 points per game on 49 percent shooting, led the team with 25 points. Meanwhile, Jeff Teague broke out of his mini-slump with 16 points and nine assists after totaling 31 points and 11 assists in his previous three games.
Al Horford, though, hasn’t quite broken out of his own mini-malaise which has seen him average nine points per game in his last four. He may finally have the perfect matchup to do just that against Miami with the diminished Haslem tasked to cover Horford should Whiteside be unable to play.
Also, look for Dennis Schroder to expose the Heat’s questionable backcourt defense. Schroder’s role has increased this month, where he’s averaging 15 points and six assists in 25 minutes per game. Schroder has scored 16 points in each of his last two meetings against Miami.
The Hawk are 30-5 at home this season (the second-best record in the NBA) and are 3-0 (SU and ATS) in their last three home games against Miami.
Writer’s Prediction
Even without Whiteside, the Heat hang around to cover on the road against the Hawks.
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