Preview: Hawks hunt another much-needed win in Miami

The Atlanta Hawks will be on the road Friday evening for a matchup vs. the Miami Heat as the NBA regular season continues to wind down. The Heat clinched the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference on Thursday, so they may have less motivation for this game now that it essentially means nothing to them in terms of postseason seeding.

The Hawks on the other hand are still fighting for the best possible seed they can get in the Play-In Tournament. The standings between No. 7 and No. 10 in the East are still very tight, and with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Brooklyn Nets playing each other on Friday night, Atlanta has a special opportunity to gain a game on whichever team loses.

Injuries

For the Hawks, Bogdan Bogdanovic (right knee soreness) and Lou Williams (low back discomfort) are questionable, while John Collins (foot, finger) remains out.

The Heat list PJ Tucker as out, while Dewayne Dedmon, Markieff Morris, Caleb Martin, Gabe Vincent, Omer Yurtseven and Haywood Highsmith are questionable for Friday’s game. It also remains to be seen how hard the starters will be pushed given that this game doesn’t mean much for the Heat. The betting line implies some skepticism that Miami will play this game at 100%.

Odds

The Hawks are a 1.5-point favorite on the road vs. the Heat as of Friday morning. The point total for this game is currently sitting at o/u 230. Miami has been great at home this season, while the Hawks have been subpar on the road.

This line is basically suggesting the Heat are punting on this game to some extent. It’s the NBA, so backups can still win a game on any given night, but Miami has little-to-no incentive to exert themselves in this game, and that is baked into the line here.

Game Info

Game Date & Time: Fri. Apr. 8, 8 pm ET

Location: State Farm Arena

TV: BSSE, League Pass (out of market)

Streaming: Bally Sports, League Pass (out of market)

Radio: 92.9 The Game