Atlanta Hawks Miami Heat Game 7 Predictions
Written May 2, 2009 by Jason Lowry
Another series in the Eastern Conference is headed to a game 7, as the Miami Heat stayed alive in their opening round series with the Atlanta Hawks with a 98-72 win in game 6. The big difference between the Heat Hawks series and that of the Chicago Bulls and Boston Celtics, is there hasn’t been a close game yet, as the closest game was a 10-point Atlanta win in game 4. In game 6 Dwayne Wade went off on the Hawks scoring 41 points, but he also got some help from a couple of his rookie teammates, as Mario Chalmers had 9 points and 8 assists, while Michael Beasley had 22 points and 15 rebounds off the bench. A big reason for the strong showing from Beasley was Udonis Haslem spent much of the game in foul trouble, and Jermaine O’Neal didn’t play at all because of a concussion in game 5. For the Hawks they got a team high 20 points from Mike Bibby, but all-star Joe Johnson went back to struggling with his shot, scoring just 13 points, and Josh Smith had just 7 points on 3 of 13 shooting. Flip Murray had another decent game off the bench scoring 13 points, but it was overall just a bad shooting night for the Hawks, as they shot just 37% as a team. The Hawks were without Al Horford in game 6 because of an injury he suffered in game 5. With the series headed back to Atlanta where the Hawks have won 2 out of 3, here is a look at what I think each team needs to do to win, plus my prediction on who comes out on top against the spread.
What the Heat have to do to win: It’s no secret what the Heat need another huge game from Wade if they want to move onto the 2nd round. Wade was nearly unstoppable in game 6, but has had his troubles in Atlanta in this series. It’s unclear if O’Neal will be able to go in game 7, and though the Heat showed they can win without him, he is a big part of this team and will really help them if he is able to step on the floor. That means the rookies Chalmers and Beasley are likely going to be asked to step up once again, and this time in their first ever game 7 experience. Because of foul trouble Haslem played just 11 minutes in game 6, and they will need him to stay on the floor more in game 7. The Heat played some solid defense in game 6, but its not very hard to do that when the other team can’t make a shot. The Hawks are very good on their home court, but the Heat have one of the best players in the game in Wade, so it should be a very interesting battle. Bet the Heat +5 at Sportsbook.com.
What the Hawks have to do to win: While the Heat are better suited to play without their big man O’Neal, the Hawks really need Horfod to suit up in game 7. He is listed as questionable, so its hard telling if he will be able to go or not. Regardless if Horford plays or not, the Hawks will need Johnson to play more like he did in game 5 and less like he has in the rest of the series. Johnson has really struggled in this series, as he comes in shooting 39% from the floor, and just 27% behind the 3-point line. The Hawks will also need a much better performance from Josh Smith, as he can really get things going for this team. I think the biggest key for the Hawks besides Wade, is getting off to a great start and getting the home fans behind them. The Hawks should win this game, but who knows which Hawks team will show up. Bet the Hawks -5 at Sportsbook.com.
My Prediction: Heat +5. While the Hawks are the more experienced team overall, the Heat have Wade, and he knows what its like to win a big game like this, and the Hawks don’t, as they haven’t been out of the first round in years. I don’t think Horford is going to be able to play, and even if he does he likely won’t be anywhere near full strength. Look for Wade to drop a big number in game 7, as I am going with the team with the best player overall to win this game.
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