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Miami Heat Atlanta Hawks Game 6 Predictions

Written April 30, 2009 by Jason Lowry

Heat Hawks Basketball It has been a back and forth battle between the Miami Heat and the Atlanta Hawks in the first round of the playoffs, and it’s not over yet. The Hawks are coming off a solid 106-91 win in the always crucial game 5, but the Heat will have a chance to even the series at 3 games a piece if they can win on their home court Friday night. In game 5 it was a very physical showdown between these two teams, as a number of hard fouls were handed out by both teams. In game 5 the Hawks finally got some solid scoring from their all-star Joe Johnson, as Johnson scored 25 points to lead the Hawks in scoring. The Hawks also got 20-point efforts from starter Josh Smith and reserve Flip Murrary, as Smith dropped in 20 points, while Murrary was great off the bench scoring 23. It wasn’t all good news for the Hawks in game 5, as they might of lost their starting power forward Al Horford, who sprained his ankle on a hard foul from Dwayne Wade. Speaking of Wade, he dropped in 29 points to lead all scorers, even though he was battling some back problems. The Heat also got 18 points from rookie Michael Beasley off the bench. Jermaine O’Neal helped out with 14 points, while Udonis Haslem added another 11 points, but the Heat got little from the rest of the team, as they struggled to keep up with the scoring from the Hawks. Game 6 is right around the corner, and here is what I think each team needs to do to win the game, plus my prediction on who comes out on top against the spread.

What the Hawks have to do to win: It won’t be easy winning on the road in game 6, but the Hawks know they can get the job done, as they beat the Heat on their home court 81-71 in game 5. The Hawks will be at a huge disadvantage if they have to play this game without Horford, but they can still win without him. They will need another big game from Johnson, who had really struggled going into game 5, and if Horford is out, they will need the rest of the starters to step up as well, especially the electric youngster Josh Smith. The Hawks are at their best when they play solid defense, and that will have to be the case again in game 6. I have to imagine Wade is going to try and take over this basketball game, and while he can beat you all by himself, he can also help you win, if you get him to start forcing things. A big game out of Zaza Pachulia could really go along way for this team, as he was a dominant force inside in game 4 scoring 12 points with 18 rebounds, but had just 6 points and 6 rebounds in game 5. There hasn’t been a real close game yet in this series, so I think its really important that the Hawks start off strong and don’t allow the Heat to jump out to a huge lead early on their home court. Bet the Hawks +5 at Sportsbook.com.

What the Heat have to do to win: First off, the health of Wade is the ultimate factor for Miami in game 5, as he has continued to battle back problems in this series, but all signs point that he will be just fine for this one. On top of that they are going to need Wade to take over this game and make sure the Heat get off to that fast start. Wade was way off in game 4 at home going 9-26 from the floor for 22 points. Wade is not only going to have to score the basketball, but I think the real key will be making sure rookies Mario Chalmers and Michael Beasley get off to a good start, as this is the biggest game of their short careers. I also think the Heat will need a strong showing from O’neal and Haslem, as they are the two main threats for the Heat down low. The Heat have shown they can play some defense against the Hawks, and they will need that defensive intensity if they want to win game 6. If Horford is out, I think Wade and company needs to attack the hoop as much as possible and try and get the rest of the Hawks players in foul trouble, since their bench will be a little shorter. Bet the Heat -5 at Sportsbook.com.

My Prediction: Heat -5. I got this series going back to Atlanta for game 7, as I think the Heat will prove to be too much on their home floor. I look for Wade to score 30+ in this one, and based on how the series has gone, the winner of the game will likely win this one pretty easy, so it makes the 5 points a safe bet. I don’t know if Miami will have enough to win game 7, but I think they at least give themselves a chance at moving on to the next round.

For those of you looking to do some NBA betting on the game, be sure to check out our expert NBA picks and the latest NBA odds at Betfirms.