In order to determine who will travel to Boston for the first round, the Atlanta Hawks and Miami Heat will square off on Tuesday night in Miami.
Latest news on Jimmy Butler and Trae Young
After winning 43 games the previous season, Atlanta went 41-41 this season. The Hawks began a season-high four-game losing streak in December. Then, in January, Atlanta won a season-high five consecutive games.
When the Atlanta Hawks visit the Miami Heat on Tuesday, Trae Young will have some unfinished business.
Young (groin) is not listed as an injury for this game on the Hawks’ injury report.
Young missed Atlanta’s regular-season finale due to right groin soreness, but he’ll be fine for the team’s first postseason game.
The fifth-year point guard averaged 26.2 points and a career-high 10.2 assists per game in 73 regular-season games.
Last season, the Heat defeated Young and the Hawks in the first round of the playoffs in five games (4-1).
Young, who finished 10th in the league in scoring this season (26.2 points), has struggled against the Heat in comparison to his overall numbers throughout his career.
In 17 career games against Miami, Young has averaged 21.4 points on 40.2 percent shooting, including 32.8 percent on 3-pointers. In four games this season, Young averaged 19.8 points on 35.6 percent shooting, including 20.8 percent from deep.
Young has a career field goal percentage of 43.7 percent and a 3-point percentage of 35.1 percent against all teams.
Given all of this, it’s no surprise that Miami is 3-1 against Atlanta this season. Miami, for example, held Young to eight points on 2-for-13 shooting in a 117-109 victory on March 4.
On Sunday, the Hawks finished the regular season with a 120-114 loss to the Boston Celtics. The game was meaningless in the sense that the outcome had no bearing on playoff seeding, which Hawks coach Quin Snyder was well aware of. Snyder rested his other regulars, including Young.
Similarly, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra rested leading scorer Jimmy Butler in the final two games of Miami’s season.
Furthermore, Spoelstra rested starters Bam Adebayo, Kevin Love, and Tyler Herro in Miami’s loss to the Washington Wizards on Friday. Kyle Lowry, the team’s backup point guard, was also rested against the Wizards.
Miami finished the season with a record of 44-38, nine fewer wins than in 2021-22.
Butler faced the Hawks three times this season, averaging 25.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 6.3 assists per game.
This season, the Heat’s star is averaging 22.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 5.3 assists.
Heat injuries:
- Max Strus (Finger) – Questionable
- Kyle Lowry (Knee)- Questionable
- Nikola Jovic (Back) – Out
Hawks injuries:
- None of injuries.
