3. Atlanta Hawks
The Hawks hold the East’s best record and have clinched the conference’s top playoff spot.
The Heat and Hawks are both division rivals and have played all four of their games this regular season. Atlanta swept the series with their 99-86 victory over Miami on March 27, which clinched the East’s No. 1 seed for just the second time in Hawks franchise history.
Outside of their 93-91 loss to Atlanta on February 28, the Heat have lost by double digits in each of their meetings with Atlanta this season.
The Hawks don’t have a true franchise player. Very similar to the formula the San Antonio Spurs utilize, Atlanta has a number of players that they can call upon to lead the team depending on the game. Paul Milsap and Al Horford form one of the league’s top paint duos, while rotation cogs like Kyle Korver, Jeff Teague and DeMarre Caroll are more than capable of leading the team in scoring.
Former Spurs assistant coach and current Hawks head coach Mike Budenholzer has instituted a team-oriented offensive attack complimented by stifling defense, the same formula Spurs head coach Gregg Poppovich has utilized during his tenure in San Antonio.
Provided the Heat drops to the eighth seed in the postseason, we may be looking at another sweep of Miami, courtesy of the Hawks of course.
Next: Cleveland Cavaliers
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