MIAMI (CBS Miami/AP) – The pressure will be on the Miami Heat Tuesday night heading into Game 2 of the NBA playoffs against the Atlanta Hawks at FTX Arena.
The Heat defeated the Hawks in Game 1 by double digits, so the Hawks are aiming to bounce back and even the score with help from the Trae Young.
Young was held below 15 points on five previous occasions this season. In the game immediately following those contests, he averaged 30.8 points on 54% from the field and 98% from the foul line. He will be super-aggressive on Tuesday.
However, the Heat hold home-court advantage in Game 2 and Miami is the No. 1 seed in the East after a 53-win season.
The Heat don’t want to give Atlanta momentum to go home with. The Hawks, including the play-in, have gone 28-14 at home this season and that — statistically improbable as it may seem — includes a 10-game losing streak. The Hawks lost every home game they played from Nov. 27 through Jan. 15 but are 20-3 in their building since. That’s the best home record in the NBA over that span.
In Game 1, the Heat won by 24 and got only 12 points, combined, from Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro. The Heat didn’t need them to score much, not with Duncan Robinson scoring 27 off the bench, but it’s also tough to expect both Adebayo and Herro to remain quiet in Game 2.
Tip-off is 7:30 p.m.
(© Copyright 2022 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)