The Atlanta Hawks will host the Miami Heat on Friday evening in the 2025 NBA Play-In Tournament. The winner of this game will secure the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference and advance to play against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the NBA playoffs.
The Hawks concluded the regular season with a 40-42 record and are coming off a 120-95 defeat by the Magic on Tuesday. The Heat, with a 37-45 regular season record, are entering this game after a 109-90 victory over the Bulls on Wednesday. During the regular season, Atlanta and Miami played four times, each team winning their two home games.
The game is scheduled to start at 7 p.m. ET at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. Bookmakers have set the Hawks as 1-point favorites, with the over/under for total points at 219.5.
Heat`s Potential for Victory
Miami demonstrated strong performance in the first half of their Wednesday game, scoring a season-high 71 points against Chicago and leading 71-47 at halftime. Tyler Herro was a key player, scoring 38 points, including 23 in the first half. This recent dominant performance could give them momentum for the upcoming game.
The Heat are experienced in the Play-In Tournament, having participated in the postseason through this format in the past two years. Coach Erik Spoelstra is known for preparing Miami well for postseason play, as evidenced by their recent win against the Bulls where they limited Chicago to 39.8% shooting.
Hawks` Path to Success
The Hawks are aiming to reach the postseason for the fourth time in the last five years and are participating in the Play-In Tournament for the fourth consecutive season. Despite a recent offensive struggle in a loss to Orlando, it`s important to note that Orlando has the league`s top-ranked scoring defense. Atlanta, known for having the No. 5 scoring offense, is expected to perform better against Miami`s defense, which is ranked seventh in the league (109.8 points allowed per game). In their regular-season matchups, the Hawks scored at least 109 points in three out of four games against the Heat.
Trae Young, who scored 28 points against the Magic, has been a consistent scorer for the Hawks, averaging 24.2 points per game this season and leading the league in assists with 11.6 per game.
Game Prediction
Predictions suggest leaning towards the Under for the total points, with an expected total of 219 points. Additionally, there`s a strong probability indicated for one side of the spread to hit.
Jasper Hawthorne