Atlanta Hawks vs Miami Heat Prediction & Match Preview - January 14th, 2022 | NBA Season 2021-22
In a rematch of their clash on January 12th, the Miami Heat will host the Atlanta Hawks at the FTX Arena on Friday.
Following their 115-91 win against Atlanta in their previous game, the Heat improved to 26-15 on the season. The Atlanta Hawks, meanwhile, have slipped to 17-23, following three losses on the trot.
The Heat lead their season series with the Hawks 1-0 lead. While Miami will look to continue their dominant streak, the Hawks will attempt to level the series.
Match Details
Fixture - Atlanta Hawks vs Miami Heat | 2021-22 NBA Season.
Date & Time - Friday, January 14th, 2022; 8:00 PM ET (Saturday, January 15th, 2022; 6:30 AM IST).
Venue - FTX Arena, Miami, FL.
Atlanta Hawks Preview
The Atlanta Hawks will head into their rematch in Miami off another loss at home. Currently on a three-game losing streak, the Hawks have struggled for consistency this season.
They have seen their leading pair of Trae Young and John Collins develop, but the team has struggled to win games on the trot. With a 17-23 record thus far, the Hawks find themselves in the lower rung of the Eastern Conference standings.
In the loss against Miami, Atlanta struggled at the shooting end. Shooting 37.8% from the floor and only 28.9% from behind the arc, Atlanta shot and rebounded poorly as the Heat crushed them on the glass.
ESPN Sources: The Atlanta Hawks are trading forward Cam Reddish to the New York Knicks for a deal that includes a protected 2022 first-round pick via Charlotte. Knicks also acquire Solomon Hill and a 2025 second-round pick via Brooklyn in trade.
Amidst several changes to the side, the Atlanta Hawks traded a key asset in Cam Reddish to the New York Knicks in exchange for Kevin Knox and a draft pick. Reddish had played some great basketball before the trade. It will be interesting to see how the trade impacts Atlanta's bench rotations.
Key Player - John Collins
The key player for the Atlanta Hawks in this rematch against the Miami Heat could be John Collins. Although he missed a significant amount of time under the league's health and safety protocols, he made a welcome return to the team earlier this week.
Collins makes up the second part of Atlanta's leading duo comprising Trae Young, forming a tremendous offensive unit. Thanks to Young's creative passing and Collins' incredible athletic ability, the Hawks have an endless potential for lob-based plays.
Trae Young finds John Collins on the block for the AND ONE 🗣
https://t.co/iJUL7hywr1
On an off-night for the Atlanta Hawks, Collins led their scoring with 16 points. Shooting an efficient 6-9 from the field and 3-4 from beyond the arc, the Hawks' big man is capable of creating his own shots as well.
Coming off 11 rebounds on Wednesday, Collins will have to take up a massive responsibility at the rebounding end to make up for Clint Capela's absence.
Atlanta Hawks Predicted Lineup
G - Trae Young | G - Bogdan Bogdanovic | F - Timothee Luwawu-Cabarrot | F - John Collins | C - Onyeka Okungwu.
Miami Heat Preview
The Miami Heat have surprised this season. Although they have one of the best rosters on paper, major injuries have kept their stars sidelined.
Despite Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo out of the rotation for extended periods, the Heat have managed to stay dominant. A lot of the success for that goes to Erik Spoelstra. The role players have stepped up well in the absence of the stars.
Omer Yurtseven is too strong for John Collins 💪
@MiamiHEAT | #HEATCulture https://t.co/jSBsVZE2M4
Riding on tremendous performances by Tyler Herro, Omer Yurtseven and Duncan Robinson, the Heat will look to extend their three-game winning streak against the Hawks at home on Friday.
Key Player - Tyler Herro
Tyler Herro could be a key player for the Miami Heat on Friday. In the absence of many star players, Herro has stepped up as a scoring force for the Heat this season.
Playing a massive role off the bench, Herro is having a tremendous third campaign in the league after breaking out of his sophomore slump. He is now firmly in the conversation for the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year award and the Most Improved Player award.
The Atlanta Hawks had no answer for #TylerHerro last night
#NBAAllStar (RT!) https://t.co/f8r3V9wZah
Coming off a 21-point outing against the Atlanta Hawks, the young guard played starter-quality minutes coming off the bench. Donning the role of an offensive fire starter against opposing second units, Herro also contributed to the Heat offense with 11 assists and nine rebounds.
Miami Heat Predicted Lineup
G - Kyle Lowry | G - Max Strus | F - Caleb Martin | F - PJ Tucker | C - Omer Yurtseven.
Hawks vs Heat Match Prediction
The Miami Heat are expected to beat the Atlanta Hawks. Both teams are almost equally matched, but Miami holds homecourt advantage. Although Atlanta tend to shoot better on the road, Miami boast a 12-4 record at home.
Atlanta's size in the starting unit may cause some issues for Miami on the rebounding glass. However, as one of the scrappiest units in the league, the Heat have shown enough grit to compete in the absence of their stars, which should continue on Friday.
The Hawks will hope to shoot well against Miami. Should the Heat's stifling defense manage to impact Atlanta's shooting percentage, the Heat could emerge victorious on the night.
Where to watch Hawks vs Heat game?
The Atlanta Hawks vs Miami Heat game will be locally broadcast on Bally Sports Sun. The game will also be available on the NBA's League Pass platform. Fans can listen to the game by tuning into WAXY 790 as well.