It will be a reunion of sorts this coming Wednesday as Atlanta coach Mike Budenholzer go toe-to-toe with his mentor Gregg Popovich in a showdown with the Spurs. The defending champions are coming off a disappointing defeat to the Phoenix Suns last Friday and will be looking for a pick-me-up win against a Hawks team that is fresh off a morale-boosting victory over the Indiana Pacers.
Read on for a preview of this showdown and while you’re at it, you can check out our preview of the game between the Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Clippers here.
[sc:NBAArticles ]Atlanta Hawks vs. San Antonio Spurs Betting Preview
Where: AT&T Center, San Antonio
When: Wednesday, November 5, 2014, 8:30 PM ET
Line: Atlanta Hawks (+8) at San Antonio Spurs (-8); total: 203.0 – view all NBA lines
Betting on the Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks will feel good about themselves heading into their clash with the defending champion San Antonio Spurs after a thrilling 102-92 win over the Indiana Pacers.
[sc:NBA240banner ]The Hawks held off a furious rally by the Pacers to pull off the victory and exact some form of revenge from the team that eliminated them in the playoffs last season.
Jeff Teague top-scored for the Hawks with 25 points while Al Horford chipped in 20 as well as they now face the ultimate test when they travel to the Lone Star state to face the Spurs. The Hawks will fancy their chances of staging a huge upset, though, with the way they are sharing the basketball right now.
The Hawks have embraced head coach Mike Budenholzer’s philosophy on offense which is predicated on ball movement and unselfish play. They lead the league in assists this season with 33.0 per game after finishing second last year behind the Spurs in this department with a 24.9 average.
In the game against the Pacers, the Hawks dished out a total of 26 assists with DeMarre Carroll leading the way with nine dimes. They will be tested against the veteran Spurs who allow just 97.0 points per game this season, good for 13th in the league.
The Spurs also have intricate knowledge of the offense they are running as the Hawks’ offense is based on the system they have developed with head coach Gregg Popovich.
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Betting on the San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs will look for a much better performance from their big three after capitulating in their frustrating 94-89 loss to the Phoenix Suns last Friday.
Tony Parker led the Spurs with 19 points but only had three markers in the final quarter. Tim Duncan added 16 for the defending champions but had none in the fourth quarter while Manu Ginobili struggled as well finishing with a measly two points.
If they are to avoid a two-game losing skid this coming Wednesday, they need to finish the game strong. The Spurs were in total control the entire match but were blitzed by the Suns in the endgame as they were outscored 12-2 in the final five minutes.
They will need to be at their best defensively against an Atlanta side that is 12th in the NBA in scoring this season with a 102.0 PPG average. Fortunately for the Spurs, they will have a much-prepared Kawhi Leonard in their lineup this coming Wednesday.
Leonard was visibly rusty in his regular season debut against the Suns, finishing with just six points on 0-for-5 shooting. Leonard, who was out for almost two weeks because of an eye infection, is the team’s primary stopper and he is expected to guard Atlanta’s Jeff Teague at some point during the game.
Teague has been spectacular for the Hawks this season leading the team in points (22.5), assists (7.0) and steals (3.0). The onus then is on French star Tony Parker to match Teague’s intensity and make him work on the defensive end. Parker has had a solid start to the season so far, leading the Spurs in points (21.0) and assists (4.5).
Writer’s Prediction
The Spurs grab their second home victory of the season.
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