Miami Heat to play Atlanta Hawks in first round. How the teams matched up this season

The Warmth, knocked out of the playoffs final 12 months by one Japanese Convention finalist (the eventual champion Milwaukee Bucks), will open the postseason on Sunday in opposition to final season’s different Japanese finalist.

The highest-seeded Warmth discovered Friday night time that its opening-round opponent would be the Atlanta Hawks, who claimed the eighth seed by beating the Cavaliers, 107-101, on Friday night time in a play-in recreation in Cleveland.

The Warmth’s first-round collection opens at 1 p.m. Sunday at FTX Enviornment, with Recreation 2 scheduled for Tuesday night. TNT and Bally Sports activities Solar will televise each video games.

The collection then shifts to Atlanta for Recreation 3 on Friday night time on ESPN and Bally and Recreation 4 on Sunday night time at 7.

Within the Hawks, the Warmth will get an offensively-gifted, ignitable opponent with an elite scorer in Trae Younger, who scored 38 to hold Atlanta previous Cleveland on Friday, together with 32 factors within the second half. However Miami additionally will face a flawed staff that’s typically delinquent defensively.

The Hawks this season allowed 113.7 factors per 100 possessions, which was twenty sixth within the league and worst amongst playoff groups.

The Warmth, conversely, ranked fourth in that defensive score class, yielding 108.4 factors per 100 opponent possessions.

What’s extra, the Hawks’ finest inside defender and rebounder, middle Clint Capela, left Friday’s recreation with a hyperextended knee, leaving his standing in query for Sunday.

The Warmth gained the season collection, 3-1.

Miami beat Atlanta twice – 115-91 and 124-118 – in a three-day span in January. The Hawks gained 110-108 in Atlanta 10 days after the second of these conferences.

Miami gained their solely current recreation, 113-109, on April 8 in Miami.

The Warmth shot 50.9 p.c from the sphere and 39.7 p.c on three pointers within the season collection in opposition to the Hawks.

Bam Adebayo averaged 22.5 factors and 6.0 rebounds in opposition to the Hawks however missed two video games within the season collection.

Tyler Herro averaged 20 per recreation in three video games in opposition to Atlanta, and Jimmy Butler averaged 18.7 factors within the three video games.

The Warmth was 14-2 with Max Strus beginning, and three of his begins have been wins in opposition to Atlanta. He averaged 12.5 factors in opposition to Atlanta, sinking 12 of 26 three-pointers.

Kyle Lowry averaged 12.3 factors in three video games in opposition to Atlanta, with an assist-to-turnover ratio (16 to eight) that isn’t as much as his requirements.

Defensively, the emphasis naturally begins with slowing Younger, who averaged 25.5 factors in opposition to the Warmth on 43.9 p.c capturing whereas sinking 33 of 37 free throws.

However Miami held him to 31.4 p.c capturing on threes this season (11 for 35).

And Younger credited Warmth coach Erik Spoelstra for switching us Miami’s defensive strategy throughout his 3 for 12 second half capturing efficiency in opposition to the Warmth throughout their recreation final week.

Hawks ahead John Collins averaged 15.7 factors and seven.7 rebounds in three video games in opposition to the Warmth, however his standing is unclear as a result of he has been out with a proper foot sprain and plantar fascia tear, in addition to a proper ring finger sprain. He didn’t play on Friday in opposition to Cleveland.

Like Collins, Bogan Bogdanovic additionally averaged 15.7 factors in opposition to the Warmth this season.

As for Capela, he averaged 11.5 factors and 10.0 assists in two video games in opposition to Miami.

Atlanta shot 47 p.c from the sphere in opposition to the Warmth within the 4 video games however dedicated 63 turnovers, in contrast with 89 assists.

Within the 4 video games, the Warmth additionally had 63 turnovers, however Miami dished out 108 assists.

The Hawks completed 43-39 this season, 10 video games behind the 53-29 Warmth.

Warmth gamers Strus and Gabe Vincent mentioned they deliberate to look at Friday’s Cleveland-Atlanta recreation fastidiously, with out distractions round them.

“I’m making an attempt to get any tips of the commerce for every man, see what they love to do, strive to determine which man I’ll be matched up with and the way they play,” Strus mentioned after Friday’s observe. “It’s time to lock in. It’s keep inside and lock in on the personnel and who we’re going to be enjoying.”

Talking after observe on Friday afternoon, Vincent indicated both opponent could be an attention-grabbing matchup.

“They’re enjoyable to compete in opposition to, whichever aspect we play in opposition to,” Vincent mentioned. “Defensively, they’re comparable, with the drop huge. Cleveland has a bit of extra size. Atlanta has a bit of extra offensive energy. They’re each good groups in their very own proper, barely completely different.”

One factor is obvious: Snagging the No. 1 seed offered a transparent benefit to Miami for 2 causes past homecourt benefit all through the Japanese Convention playoffs:

1. Their opponent could have simply someday to organize for Recreation 1.

2. The Warmth gained’t play any of the East’s prime three betting favorites – Milwaukee, Boston or Brooklyn – till the Japanese Finals. The Warmth would play the Philadelphia-Toronto winner in spherical two.

“The Warmth profit considerably from the bracket they’re in,” TNT analyst Stan Van Gundy mentioned on a convention name on Friday. “That’s why you play for seeding. They’re the No. 1 seed. After all you’ll slightly play the eighth seed within the first spherical.

“Identical factor within the second spherical [without having to play] Boston and Milwaukee. Boston has been the very best staff within the East for a very long time. Since earlier than the primary of the 12 months, they’ve been lots higher than anybody else. Not having to play them or the defending champions within the second spherical, it’s a giant assist.”

This story was initially printed April 15, 2022 10:15 PM.