The 2023 NBA Play-in Tournament begins tonight as 8 teams battle it out for the last four places in the playoffs. Two of the league’s finest playmakers will be battling it out in the Eastern Conference. The Atlanta Hawks will be going to the FTX Arena after finishing 8th in the East and Miami finishing 7th. This is ought to be a spectacle as the winner books their place as the 7th seed of the playoffs.
Trae Young and Jimmy Butler will be leading their respective teams to a possible 7th-place finish. However, it is not going to be a straightforward matchup between the two teams. This will be the 5th meeting between the two this season. The Heat led the regular season 4-game fixture, winning 3 and losing 1 game to the Hawks. However, neither game had a runaway winner and the margins for victory were slim.
Trae Young will lead the Atlanta Hawks once again against the Miami Heat
Trae Young has been a crucial player for the Hawks all season long. Despite a dip in his form, he is arguably one of the best playmakers in the league. Young has averaged 26.2 points and 10.2 assists this season for the Hawks. For tonight’s game against the Heat, he is cleared of any possible injuries and is listed as an active player. The Hawks do not carry any injuries going into the game.
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The Heat on the other hand has a few players listed on the injury list. We have seen throughout the season, as the Heat has been the most injured team all season long. Despite several injuries, they have shown that they can win against any opponents with a short-handed roster. Let’s take a look at the complete injury list and expected roster for both teams tonight.
Atlanta Hawks injury report
- no injuries reported
Atlanta Hawks expected roster
- Trae Young
- Clint Capela
- John Collins
- Dejountay Murray
- De’Andre Hunter
Miami Heat injury report
- Nikola Jovic (Out)
- Max Strus (Probable)
- Kyle Lowry (Questionable)
Miami Heat expected roster
- Jimmy Butler
- Bam Adebayo
- Tyler Herro
- Gabe Vincent
- Duncan Robinson
The Miami Heat will be favored to win against the Atlanta Hawks
Despite the Hawks not having a single player listed on the injury report, the Heat will be favored to win against them. The Heat have 3 players listed on the injury list, however, it does not make the Heat’s roster out of depth. With a strong starting 5 available for the Heat, they are more than capable of winning against the Hawks. In the last game between the two, the Heat edged out a close encounter between them, 130-128.
Butler and Young were the leading scorers of their respective teams. Despite the Heat trailing the Hawks in the first half of the game, they made a comeback to win a tightly contested game. Both teams lined up a strong starting 5 and we can expect the same tonight. However, for tonight we are in favor of the Heat to take the win and the 7th seed in the Eastern Conference.