Hawks vs Heat NBA Play-In Pick: Who Advances In This Win-Or-Go-Home Matchup? (Apr 18)

• The Hawks dropped their first play-in matchup against Orlando.
• Miami had better success, knocking Chicago out of the play-in round for the third straight season.
• These teams last played on Mar. 27, with the Heat claiming a 122-112 victory.

One of the games on Friday’s NBA slate features the Atlanta Hawks hosting the Miami Heat. Which team will advance to the postseason in our Hawks vs Heat pick?

Hawks Look To Regroup From Blowout Loss To Orlando

The Hawks limp into this matchup following a 120-95 loss against the Orlando Magic on Tuesday.

Trae Young led the way with 28 points and six assists. However, he shot just 8-for-21 from the field and 1-for-5 from beyond the arc.

Mouhamed Gueye, the only other starter to reach double figures, finished with 12 points and four rebounds. Georges Niang led the second unit with 15 points.

After trimming a double-digit deficit to six points, the Hawks were outscored 41-22 in the final frame, allowing Orlando to coast to a 25-point victory.

Heat Hope To Stay Hot Against Atlanta

Meanwhile, the Heat had little trouble putting away the Chicago Bulls 109-90 in the first round of the play-in tournament.

Tyler Herro scored Chicago’s defense for 38 points on 13-for-19 shooting from the field and a 3-for-7 effort from 3-point range. He also tallied five rebounds, and four assists.

Andrew Wiggins added 20 points and nine boards, and Bam Adebayo chipped in with 15 points and 12 rebounds.

Miami seized control of the game early, leading by 11 after the opening stanza and 71-48 at the break. The Heat held the Bulls to 39.8 percent shooting overall and 27 percent from long range.

Hawks vs Heat Pick: Who Locks Down The No. 8 Seed In This Play-In Showdown?

The Hawks were a top-five team from a scoring perspective, but finished with fourth-worst scoring defense, allowing 119.3 points per game.

On the other side of the matchup, the Heat were 24th in offensive efficiency, but they finished with the ninth-best defensive rating in the association, giving up 112.9 points per 100 possessions.

The two teams split the season series, with the Heat winning the last two matchups. Based on the optics of their previous outings, look for the Heat to outlast Atlanta in this win-or-go-home matchup.