Before we start the first game preview in about a month, check out Terry Stotts page over on Basketball Reference. Yeah c’mon!
Game: Hawks (46-34 – Won 3 (Home: 30-10)) vs Kings(42-38 – Won 1 (Road: 15-25))
Date: April 14, 2009
Where: Phillips Arena, Atlanta, GA
TV: Fox SportsSouth Channel 48 on Atlanta Comcast
Odds: Updated Tuesday
Last Games: Hawks 122 Pacers 118 on 4/10 in Atlanta
Heat 122 Knicks 105 on 4/12 in Miami
Last Match up: Hawks 91 Heat 83 on 2/27/09 in Atlanta. This is the 4th meeting between the teams this season, with the Hawks holding the edge, 2-1.
Key Heat:
| Stat | Player | AVG |
| Scoring | Dwyane Wade (Marquette) |
30.2 |
| Rebounds | Udonis Haslem (Florida) |
8.2 |
| Assists | Dwyane Wade | 7.5 |
| FG% | Udonis Haslem | 51.8 |
| FT% | Michael Beasley (Kansas State) |
76.8 |
| 3PT% | Daequan Cook (Ohio State) |
39.1 |
| Blocks | Dwyane Wade | 1.3 |
| Steals | Dwyane Wade | 2.2 |
Heat Update: We know the Heat will be our first round opponent in the playoffs, which will start this Saturday or Sunday at Philips Arena. D-Wade, probably the third best player in the Association, went off for a career best 55 Sunday against New York. You can check out the recap from the game, or what I’d like to call it, the AP Dwayne Wade Love Fest, here. So he scored 55 against the New York Knicks, who at this point are playing for ping pong balls. I guess he’s ready for the playoffs. In terms of other Heat, we know Haslem is out for the rest of the regular season with a thumb problem. Also, Jermaine O’Neal left Sunday’s game early and Jamrio Moon did not play. We gotta remember that the playoff spots are locked up for both the Heat and the Hawks so who knows if those players actually could not play.
Not sure what to think of this game. We need to keep some guys on the bench and get them some rest. As nice as it would be to get a W going into the series against the Heat, I think rest is a little more important. I think both teams will be thinking that, giving the advantage to whoever has the better, deeper bench, which is never the Hawks.
