The Hawks return to State Farm Arena tonight looking for the home-court advantage that helped them finish the season 20-3 in the last 23 games that they have played there.
With a rest disadvantage accrued as the Hawks topped Cleveland and Charlotte in a pair of Play-In Tournament games while the Heat rested, Atlanta's offense struggled in a pair of games in Miami. In the regular season, the Hawks finished with the second-best offense in the NBA – 115.4 points scored per 100 possessions – but the Heat put up similarly good defensive numbers.
"They're one of the best defensive teams in the league, probably top-5.