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The Miami Heat were victorious in Game 1 of their 2022 NBA Playoff series against the Atlanta Hawks, securing a comfortable, 115-91 win. With Game 2 scheduled for Tuesday night, the eyes of the NBA will be on FTX Arena as Miami looks to take a firm, two-games-to-none lead over Atlanta. Ahead of the Heat-Hawks game, we'll be making our Heat NBA Playoff predictions for Game 2.
It was a highly impressive performance for the Heat in their Game 1 win, as they held star sharpshooter Trae Young to just eight points after he exploded for 38 in the Play-In defeat of the Cleveland Cavaliers. Not only that, but the swarming Miami defense held the Hawks to just 91 points on 38.7 percent shooting. Offensively, the Heat were led by three-point sniper Duncan Robinson, who erupted for eight threes. Even if Miami doesn't get a performance like that from Robinson in Game 2, the Hawks will have their work cut out for them trying to break through against one of the league's best defenses.
Look for the Heat to ride the momentum from their Game 1 win to another crucial victory in Game 2 on Tuesday night. However, this time, the cast leading the way for the Heat will look a bit different. That said, here are four bold predictions for the Heat in Game 2 of their 2022 NBA Playoff series against the Hawks.
Click here for odds on the Heat vs Hawks NBA Playoff game, courtesy of FanDuel.
Heat Predictions For Game 2 vs Hawks
4. Bam Adebayo bounces back with huge NBA Playoff game
Bam Adebayo was uncharacteristically quiet in Game 1 vs the Hawks, as he scored just six points on 1-for-5 shooting from the field. Of course, the star big man found other ways to impact the game, particularly on the defensive end. However, Miami will need more from Adebayo if they want to keep the momentum going against the Hawks. He will provide just that in Game 2. Look for Adebayo to record a monster double-double en route to a Heat Game 2 victory.
3. The Heat continue to expose the Hawks' three-point defensive woes
The Hawks were one of the worst teams in the league at defending the three-point line in the regular season, as they ranked in the bottom-10 of the NBA in three-pointers allowed and opponent three-point percentage. The Heat, who feature four players who made over two triples per game, are a bad team to have to play if struggling in this area. Atlanta allowed 18 threes to the Heat in Game 1. The Hawks may figure out a way to put more points on the board against the Heat defense, but it might not matter if they can't stop the barrage of three-pointers coming from Miami.
2. Another player stars off the bench for the Heat
In Game 1, it was Duncan Robinson, who dropped a game-high 27 points and shot an insane 9-for-10 from the field. This time, it will be Tyler Herro, who played 23 key minutes off the bench but scored just six points. No stranger to the NBA playoffs, Herro has three 20-point games and one explosive, 37-point performance under his belt in the postseason. On Tuesday night, Herro will go off for the Heat and drop 30-plus to help lead them to victory over the Hawks once again.
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1. Trae Young and the Hawks will bounce back on offense- but it won't matter
Young and the Hawks, who had the league's sixth-ranked offense in terms of points per game, can't be held down like they were in Game 1 for long. The Hawks will spread their wings and score 110-plus points, led by a 40-point outing from Young. However, it won't matter, as Miami will outscore them en route to a critical 2022 NBA Playoff Game 2 victory.
