NBA Basketball Matchup: Mavs vs Hawks
Both of these teams are squarely into the playoffs, so they are set in that regard. Nevertheless, these two teams also each have something to play for on this shortened season’s last day.
Date/Time: 8:00 PM ET, Thursday, April 26, 2012
Venue: Phillips Arena, Atlanta, GA
Broadcast: Southwest
Spread: Hawks -5
Over/Under: 194
While the Mavericks cannot grasp home court advantage at this point in the season, they can still improve their seeding so that they do not get matched up with the explosive Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round. The Mavs sit just a half game behind the Nuggets at this point for the sixth seed, and the right to play the Lakers in the first round. A match-up that just about any team in the West would rather have.
On the other side, you have the Hawks who are just one game away from sealing up home court in the first round against the Boston Celtics. This match-up is set, the seeding is set, but the home court advantage is still up in the air. If the Celtics beat the Bucks, and the Hawks fall against the Mavs, then the Celtics would have it due to head to head match-ups.
So it may be the last game of the season, but this will not be one of those games dominated by the reserve players as these two teams are still very much playing for something. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
It was thought that Al Horford may return in limited action for this game to get ready for the first round of the playoffs, but now that has apparently been pushed back. The latest on this is that he could return for the second round if the Hawks are to get by the Celtics.
The two teams last met way back on January 29 in Dallas with the Mavs topping Atlanta 102-91.
Jason Terry collected 18 points and 11 assists and Dirk Nowitzki scored 19 on 8-of-11 shooting for Dallas while the Hawks’ Joe Johnson attempted to get Atlanta back into it all by himself, finishing with 27 points, eight rebounds and six assists.
Free Pick : Hawks- The Mavericks have not played since a 93-83 defeat at Chicago on Saturday, in which veteran guards Jason Kidd and Terry were rested.
My guess is they don’t suit up on Thursday for a Dallas team that are clearly looking going to be looking ahead.
