Hawks vs Pacers NBA Handicapping
This is why teams care about home-court advantage in the playoffs. In the first two games of this series, in Indianapolis, the Pacers could do just about whatever they wanted whenever they wanted – winning both by an average score of 110-91.
Eastern Conference
Atlanta Hawks (2-2) at Indiana Pacers (2-2)
Wednesday, May 1
Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis
8 p.m. EST
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The Hawks turned the tables in Atlanta, winning both times there with the average score 96-80. In no game in this series has the visiting team given any indication that it had any serious thoughts of rising up and grabbing a game on the road.
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So considering the old adage that a playoff series doesn’t really start until a team wins on the road, the spotlight is clearly on the Hawks tonight when Game 5 tips off in Indianapolis.
And the Hawks at least enter this one with a running start.
Atlanta won Games 3 and 4 in impressive fashion, the Hawks seemingly intent on showing the NBA that there is a little post-season life in a franchise that has known so much playoff disappointment over the years.
Now, with the series knotted at 2-2, the Hawks have a chance to grab the Pacers by the throats and put themselves in position to pull off the first legitimate upset of the playoffs.
Indiana shrugged off the Game 3 loss (90-69) as just one of those things. Teams down 2-0 and coming home often go balls to the wall and get it done. [ad-6571516]
But the Pacers have some cause for concern after the Hawks basically outshot them in Game 4. Atlanta consistently found holes in Indiana’s perimeter defense and made 11 of 24 shots from 3-point territory.
With Indiana making only 7 of 23, that was basically the game.
Tonight the Pacers will be looking for improved play in the backcourt. Lance Stephenson and George Hill stunk it up big time in Atlanta, shooting just 10 for 39 from the floor. That’s not likely to be repeated at home tonight, but if those two get off the blocks slowly, we could see D.J. Augustin and/or Gerald Green sooner rather than later.
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The Hawks have had a long and inglorious history of mailing in road games when they get behind, and the Pacers no doubt feel that this game can be won in the first half, just like the previous four. We like Indiana to bounce back at home in this one.
In Atlanta everything that could go wrong did go wrong, and we can’t see the Hawks being as physical in Indianapolis as they were in Atlanta. Pacers win and cover, earning a chance to end the series Friday night.
