It’s win or go home for the Hawks when they host the Heat for the final Play-In game. The matchup between the two teams will determine the final spot in the NBA’s Eastern Conference playoffs and a first-round matchup against the Cavaliers.
Like the Magic, the Hawks and Heat have some familiarity with each other as division rivals that played each other four times in the regular season. But this isn’t the regular season, and with the season on the line, the Hawks know they have to give it everything they have to survive.
“I don’t think it’s, we’re gonna surprise the Heat with anything,” Hawks guard Trae Young said Thursday. “I think we’ve shown a lot this year and shown a lot of different things. I think it’s just being aggressive, what team wants it more and what team is ready to play from the jump is going to win.”
Here are three things to watch during Friday’s Play-In game at State Farm Arena.
1. While the Hawks, of course, will want to slow the Heat’s top players in Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro, they’ll also want to make sure to limit their role players who have burned them at times this season.
On Tuesday, the Hawks gave up a combined 42 points to Cole Anthony and Anthony Black, who both averaged fewer than 10 points per game entering the matchup. So, the Hawks will have to remain focused on the defensive end of the floor to limit the Heat’s role players who could torch them from the perimeter at any given moment.
Two of the Heat’s top nine guys, in Davion Mitchell and Alec Burks, shoot over 40% from deep. But players such as Duncan Robinson have developed reputations as Hawks killers for his history of having good nights against them in the past. Robinson on average shoots 38.3% on 3-point shots against the Hawks, with that trend continuing this season.
But the Heat have plenty of other options they can turn to. So, while the Hawks may put a lot of attention in stopping Miami’s stars, they must have crisp defensive execution to generate enough stops.
2. On the other end of the floor, the Hawks will have to give Young as many options as possible. Young will command a lot of attention as a playmaker, and the Hawks will have to be efficient from the floor to give themselves a chance.
The Heat likely will deploy Mitchell, nicknamed “Off Night” because of his ability to stop top opposing players, on Young in one-on-one situations. When Mitchell gets “the help” from teammates for a double team, the Hawks will have to maximize that opportunity.
So, they’ll have to make sure they’re spacing the floor in a way that will generate the right looks and then convert them.
The Hawks attempted 21 3-pointers Tuesday and made only four of them. Of course, the Hawks will not want to live and die by the 3, so they’ll have to make sure they’re not driving into the paint and taking looks with a defender bearing down on them.
3. They’ll also need to collectively rebound the ball. The Heat rank among the top 10 teams in the NBA in defensive rebounding, along with a top-10 defense.
Since they’re a stifling force on the defensive glass, the Hawks will need everyone to push beyond simply ball watching and chase down loose balls.
But on the other end of the floor, the Hawks will need to have to crash the defensive glass and take advantage when the Heat miss a shot. The Heat have collected only 798 offensive rebounds this season, ranking 26th in the NBA in offensive rebounds.
The Heat make just 46.5% of their overall field goals. So the Hawks have opportunity to win the possession battle by limiting the Heat’s second-chance opportunities.
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