Playoff hopefuls battle Saturday night in an Eastern Conference showdown as the Brooklyn Nets (40-37, 8th in East) take on the Atlanta Hawks (40-37, 10th in the East). The Hawks will host this one at State Farm Arena, with tipoff scheduled for 7:30 pm ET.
Currently, the 8th, 9th, and 10th seeds in the East all have the same record, so the winner of this game will immediately have a leg up with just a handful of games left. Both the Nets and Hawks are pretty secure in getting a spot in the play-in tournament, but who they play and whether they get a home-court advantage or not is still very much on the line.
The Nets come into this one, having lost two of their last three. On Thursday, they lost to the Milwaukee Bucks 120-119 in overtime.
In the loss, Kevin Durant had a team-high 26 points to go along with seven rebounds and 11 assists. Bruce Brown Jr. and Kyrie Irving combined for the 48 points in the defeat.
Atlanta has been one of the hotter teams in the conference as of late. Not only have they won seven of their last ten, but they have won four in a row. On Thursday, they took down the Cleveland Cavaliers at home, 131-107.
Trae Young was sensational in the victory as he had a game-high 30 points. Kevin Huerter and Onyeka Okongwu combined for 40 points in the win.
Brooklyn opens as the favorite despite playing on the road. They are -135 to win while the Hawks’ moneyline sits at +110. The spread features Atlanta +1.5, and the over/under for total points is 242.
By The Numbers
These have been two of the best offenses in the league this season. The Hawks rank sixth in scoring averaging 113.7 points per game. The Nets rank ninth averaging 112.5.
Defensively, these two are neck-and-neck but rank in the bottom third of the league. The Nets rank 21st in scoring defense allowing opponents an average of 112.2 points per game. The Hawks rank right behind them at 22nd, allowing 112.4 points.
Nets Trying To Continue Domination Of Atlanta
Despite the fact that they have the same record, the Nets have had the Hawks’ number in recent years. In fact, in their last 14 games, the Nets are 12-2 against Atlanta straight up.
The Nets are also 7-1 against them in their last eight games played on the road. They will look to continue this domination on Saturday.
Leading the way on the offensive side for Brooklyn is forward Kevin Durant. In 50 games this season, he is averaging 29.6 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 6.2 assists.
When able to play, Kyrie Irving has also been a huge part of the offenses. Despite playing in just 26 games, Irving is averaging 26.9 points, 4.2 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and 1.3 steals per game.
After trading away James Harden, the Nets still have not reaped the benefits of Ben Simmons’ services. He is starting to ramp up his workouts in an effort to contribute in the playoffs, but he will be out for this one.
Hawks Look To Stay Hot At Home
While the Hawks are above .500 overall, it is largely due to their play at home. While they are just 15-23 on the road, the Hawks’ have been excellent at 25-14 at the State Farm Arena.
They hope to take the momentum of their four-game winning streak and their solid play at home to take down the Nets on Saturday. They have been a solid bet as of late, given that they are not only 5-1 SU in their last six games, but they are 5-1 ATS in that time too.
Trae Young has been one of the best scorers in the league this year. He is averaging 28.2 points, 3.7 rebounds, 9.6 assists, and a steal per game. Young aggravated his groin in their last game, but he is expected to play Saturday.
Other contributors for Atlanta include Bogdan Bogdanovic (14.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, three assists), De’Andre Hunter (13.3 points, 3.2 rebounds), and Kevin Huerter (12.1 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists).
Take Atlanta And The Points
While Brooklyn probably has the better team on paper, it is hard to ignore how Atlanta has played as of late. Yes, Brooklyn has owned them over the last few years, but Atlanta might be one of the hottest teams in the NBA right now.
Furthermore, the Hawks have the advantage that they are playing at home, where they are far superior to on the road.
While Brooklyn might still flex its muscles, there is just a lot of value in the Hawks Saturday as the underdog. Take them and the points.
Take Atlanta +1.5.
