NBA Lines: Heat Try to Solidify Home Court Against Struggling Hawks
Monday, April 11, 2011
By Gordon P. Quinn
The Miami Heat has taken control in the race for second place in the Eastern Conference, but they can't relax quite yet. They certainly looked like NBA championship contenders on Sunday when they jumped into sole possession of that elusive 2nd spot in the Eastern Conference by crushing the Boston Celtics 100-77.
- Miami Heat (56-24) at Atlanta Hawks (44-36)
When: 7:00 PM ET, Monday, April 11, 2011
Where: Philips Arena, Atlanta, Georgia
TV: Sun Sports, SportSouth
The Heat have opened as 6.5-point favorites on Sportsbook.com’s Live NBA Basketball Odds.
Miami (56-24) entered Sunday's home game against Boston tied with the Celtics in the East, and home-court advantage for a possible rematch in the conference semi-finals.
Although Miami moved into sole possession of second place, it still needs a combination of wins or Boston losses totalling two to clinch that spot. The Celtics own the tiebreaker by virtue of a 3-1 edge in the season series.
The Atlanta Hawks have made noise occasionally this season as if they too had a chance to emerge from the East. Lately, it looks like that is a long shot at best. The Hawks will be looking to snap a four-game slide against the Heat.
- Under is 6-2 in Atlanta last 8 overall game.
- Under is 13-5 in the last 18 meetings.
- Favorite is 7-3 ATS in the last 10 meetings.
Atlanta is resolute on finishing the regular season on a down note. It has dropped four straight, including an embarrassing 115-83 setback at the lowly Washington Wizards on Saturday. Set for their first-round matchup next week with the Orlando Magic, the Hawks are playing like they have nothing left to prove. There are certain statistics that teams look at to gauge effort, the most basic being rebounding. The Wizards outrebounded the playoff-bound Hawks 48-33, and Atlanta managed only seven offensive boards.
Miami is doing the exact opposite, turning it up in preparation for what it hopes will be a deep run to the finals. Sunday’s matchup was the biggest test recently for the Heat, who had lost to the Celtics in each of the previous three meetings. While Boston struggles to the finish, Miami has won 10 of its last 12 to pull into the No. 2 spot.
Another win and a Boston loss would secure the Heat home court advantage should the two meet again in the Eastern semi-finals. It was not even close Sunday as LeBron James went for 27 points and the Miami defense suffocated the Celtics, holding them to less than 20 points in each of the final three quarters. The Heat takes its final act north of the border against the lowly Raptors on Wednesday.
The Miami Heat has won 23 straight games in which they reach 100 points since a 130-102 setback at Denver on Jan. 13. Atlanta has allowed an average of 110 points during its four-game slide.
Miami has taken two of three from the Hawks, most recently a 106-85 Heat win in Atlanta on March 18. Lebron James went off for 43 points while Chris Bosh chipped in 17 and 10 boards. Al Horford and Josh Smith were the only two starters to reach double figures for the Hawks with 11 and 10 points, respectively.
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The pick: Miami Heat.
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al horford - atlanta hawks - boston celtics - chris bosh - josh smith - lebron james - miami heat - nba championship - philips arena