Miami Heat defeat Atlanta Hawks 98-90 to seal second spot in Eastern Conference: NBA Recap
The Miami Heat secured second position in the Eastern Conference playoffs with a 98-90 victory over the Atlanta Hawks at the Philips Arena on Monday night.
Miami guard Dwyane Wade said that the game was crucial in their quest to clinch second spot in the East. He said, "This game was just as important to us as [Sunday's win against Boston] because it's drawing closer to wrapping up the second seed. We are finding
ways to win ball games, and that matters. Sometimes it is not pretty, sometimes it is, but we are doing the little things necessary to win. That’s what will matter in the playoffs."
With their third straight victory, Miami improved their record to 57-24 for the season. The Hawks were 44-37, and have lost five straight, going into their final game of the season against the Charlotte Bobcats later Wednesday.
The Big Three were once again influential for the Heat as they combined for 70 points in the victory. Forward LeBron James was blazing hot, as he scored a game-high 34 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and seven assists for Miami.
The 29-year-old Wade finished with 21 points, six assists and five rebounds for the Heat, who have won eight of their last 10 games. Chris Bosh had 15 points and nine rebounds while guard Mike Bibby ended with 10 points in the victory.
The Heat's Zydrunas Ilgauskas was ejected for complaining that Atlanta's Zaza Pachulia was irritating him and his team-mates. Prior to ejection, Big Z had nine points and five rebounds for Miami. Josh Smith added a team-high 17 points, six rebounds and three
assists for Atlanta, who have lost six of their last 10 games.
Jamal Crawford came off the bench with 13 points while Marvin Williams scored 11 points in the defeat. Guard Joe Johnson and Jeff Teague netted 10 points apiece for the Hawks, who are in fifth spot in the East with 44 victories this season.
Match Analysis
The NBA's three-point shooting champion, LeBron James scored 12 of his 34 points in the first quarter, as Miami held a 28-23 lead going into the second. The Heat extended their lead to as many as 12 points midway through the second quarter and pushed their
lead to 62-46 at the break.
The Hawks fought hard in the third quarter to get themselves back into the contest and outscored Miami 21-17. The Heat, on the other hand, managed to take a 79-67 advantage into the fourth.
Atlanta continued to struggle in the fourth quarter and cut the 12-point deficit to one at 88-87 with three and a half minutes to go in the quarter. Crawford scored the next point to tie the game at 88. However, Miami then went on a 10-2 run to win the game.
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