Atlanta Hawks vs Charlotte Hornets: the Hawks not to make playoffs

Atlanta is one of the best teams in the East at home, so it's no surprise that the Hawks are the undisputed favorites against Charlotte in Round 1 of the playoffs. Will the Hornets be able to surprise everyone?

The Hawks have stalled noticeably from last season, finishing only 9th in the East. Trae Young, meanwhile, is having a phenomenal season, averaging 28.7 points and 9.7 assists on 46% shooting from the field. Young is a big part of the team now: he is the driving force behind the offense, not only leading it, but also taking tough shots. Bogdan Bogdanovic has improved in the second half of the season, but the 3rd option on offense might not be enough. John Collins is still in the injured reserve list and is unlikely to be on the floor against Charlotte.

In their last 9 regular season games, Nate McMillan's team won 7 games, losing only to Miami and Toronto. The final game saw Atlanta defeat Houston 130=114. The Hawks made more than half of their three-pointers (21 of 38). Another important factor was winning the battle on the opposite side of the boards and 7 of 13 offensive rebounds was contributed by Clint Capela. Three Atlanta players scored more than 20 points. In addition to Young, De'Andre Hunter and Danilo Gallinari were among the scorers. Together, they hit a total of 10 three-pointers.

The Hornets won 11 of their last 15 regular-season games but failed to climb past 10th place in the Eastern Conference. Charlotte missed too much midseason and came up just shy of catching up. LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges had a blistering turnaround, but Kelly Oubre is getting far less playing time even in Gordon Hayward's absence. Hayward will be out for the next 2 weeks, and that's the only serious loss on the Hornets roster.

In their last regular season game, Charlotte defeated Washington 124-108 at home. James Borrego's players made more than half of the three-pointers, with LaMelo Ball hitting 6 of his 7 attempts. Terry Rozier was 5 of 9 from beyond the arc and 10 of 18 from the field: he had 25 points and 6 assists. Only four Hornets players scored more than 10 points — besides Ball and Rozier, Jalen McDaniels and Isaiah Thomas did the same.

In their last 10 head-to-head encounters, the teams have five wins each. Atlanta and Charlotte have met four times this season, and there is parity here as well. The Hornets were stronger in the last game, 116-106. John Collins and Gordon Hayward did not appear on the floor.

• Atlanta has nine wins in 10 home games;
• Charlotte has 6 of the last 10 road games;
• Atlanta finished the regular season 26th in the NBA defensive rating, with Charlotte at 23rd.

Last season the Hawks reached the Eastern Conference finals, but it will be difficult to repeat the success. The depth of the roster is not what it used to be, at least Collins and Reddish played a year ago. Defense comes to the forefront in elimination games, and Charlotte head coach James Borrego knows how to play defense. The Hornets are still varied offensively and have someone to replace Hayward, while their opponent relies heavily on Trae Young. I suggest we bet on the following outcomes:

• H2 (+5.5) for 1.80;
• TO (235.5) for 1.845;
• W2 (incl. OT) for 2.82.

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