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The Miami Heat visit State Farm Arena in Georgia to take on the Atlanta Hawks on Friday.
The Heat have resurged and are now second in the East while the Hawks have surprisingly, been mediocre so far. The two teams are facing off for the third time this season with Miami winning the first two clashes.
The Heat have won games despite facing adversity. They have had players walk in and out of the lineup all season, but the team maintains their "next man up" mentality to win games. Dewayne Dedmon credited his team's hustle and championship pedigree after their last game against the Portland Trail Blazers. Even after Jimmy Butler was ejected, the players stepped to the fore and delivered a victory. Dedmon said:
"It's good, we know what we have to do when we lose players. We've been doing it all year, so any time a player goes down, it's 'next man up' mentality."
The Hawks, on the other hand, have been disappointing, to say the least. After making the Conference Finals last season, they are now 19-25 with the 12th spot in the East. Trae Young is averaging 27.9 points (fifth in the league) to go along with 9.5 assists a night (second in the league). They snapped their five-game losing streak against the Bucks and then won against Minnesota in their next matchup.
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Miami Heat Injury Report
The Heat continue to be without KZ Okpala and Victor Oladipo, who are rehabilitating from their respective injuries. Kyle Lowry is out due to personal reasons and Tyler Herro is placed under the league's health and safety protocols.
Meanwhile, Markieff Morris is finally eligible to play games after his neck whiplash incident with Nikola Jokic. He has played in just 10 games so far and is sidelined for this game as he undergoes reconditioning for game shape.
Atlanta Hawks Injury Report
Danilo Gallinari, Clint Capela and Gorgui Dieng are all questionable for this matchup. Capela and Gallinari are suffering from ankle injuries while Dieng is dealing with a non-COVID-related illness.
Meanwhile, Bogdan Bogdanovic is sidelined with a sprained right ankle.
Miami Heat vs Atlanta Hawks: Predicted Lineups
Miami Heat
The Heat will likely deploy the lineup that they have been using for the past few games. Gabe Vincent will start as point guard until Kyle Lowry returns, with Duncan Robinson joining him in the backcourt. Jimmy Butler will retain his small forward position while PJ Tucker starts as the power forward as usual. Bam Adebayo has returned as the center with Dewayne Dedmon coming off the bench. Caleb Martin, Kyle Guy and Max Strus will get the most minutes in the second unit.
Atlanta Hawks
If Clint Capela doesn't play then Onyeka Okongwu will start as the center. Trae Young will start as point guard as usual with Kevin Huerter starting as the off-guard. De'Andre Hunter will likely be the small forward and John Collins will retain his power forward role. Lou Williams and Delon Wright will get the most minutes off the bench.
Miami Heat vs Atlanta Hawks: Predicted Starting 5s
Miami Heat
G - Gabe Vincent | G - Duncan Robinson | F - Jimmy Butler | F - PJ Tucker | C - Bam Adebayo.
Atlanta Hawks
G - Trae Young | G - Kevin Huerter | F - De'Andre Hunter | F - John Collins | C - Onyeka Okongwu.
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Poll : Who will win?
Atlanta
Miami
83 votes
