The Boston Celtics head to Philips Arena to take on the Atlanta Hawks in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. The game begins at 8:30 pm ET on Tuesday, Apr. 26 and can be seen on CNE, FxS and TNT.
The Hawks fell to the Celtics 104-95 on Sunday. Despite the loss, Paul Millsap earned his 33rd double-double this season with 45 points and 13 rebounds.
Baskets could be hard to come by as Atlanta ranks second in the league, allowing just 99.3 points per 100 possessions, while Boston is fifth (101.3).
The Hawks enter the game with records of 50-36 Straight Up (SU) and 42-42-2 Against The Spread (ATS). They are 50-36 SU and 42-42-2 ATS against the Eastern Conference. The Hawks have really locked down opponents, ranking first in the league with a .430 opponent field-goal percentage. Something to watch out for is if Atlanta can force its opponents into turnovers and convert them into baskets. They’ve done an excellent job of that all year with an average of 18.3 points off turnovers per game. Expect Atlanta to have lots of opportunities at the line against the Celtics, who are one of the most foul-prone teams in the league with an average of 22.4 fouls per game.
Across the court, the Celtics head into the game with records of 44-40-2 ATS and 50-36 SU. Most recently, Boston is a meager 3-7 ATS over the last 10 games. Boston’s three-point defense is one of the top in the league, with opponents shooting only .332 from the three. A large part of Boston’s game is creating turnovers and turning them into points. They are scoring 18.6 points per game off turnovers, which ranks third in the league.
Boston beat Atlanta in their most recent meeting this season, but the Hawks still lead the head-to-head record, 6-4 SU, over the last 10 matchups. At 5-5, they are even ATS.
Predictions: SU Winner – Atl
Notes
“Atlanta is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games “.
“Atlanta is 17-8 SU in its last 25 games “.
“Atlanta is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games “.
“The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Atlanta’s last 6 games “.
“Atlanta is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home”.
“The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Atlanta’s last 5 games at home”.
“Atlanta is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing Boston”.
“Atlanta is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Boston”.
“Atlanta is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Boston”.
Ranked 13th, Atlanta scores 102.6 points per game. On the other hand, Boston gives up 102.3 and also ranks 13th (in points allowed).
Atlanta ranks 19th in points per home game with 103.2 points, while Boston ranks 15th in points allowed on the road with 104.1.
When allowing fewer than 100 points, the Hawks are 34-9 on the season. When the Celtics score fewer than 100, they are a losing 7-16.
When allowing 100 or more points in a game, the Hawks are just 16-27 this season. Boston is a solid 43-20 when it hits the century mark.
The Hawks have an offensive rating of 103.0 (ranked 21st). The Celtics rank fifth for their defensive rating of 101.3.
Boston beats Atlanta in both possessions per game and points per possession. The Celtics average 101.5 possessions and 1.037 points per possession, while the Hawks average 99.6 possessions with 1.030 points per possession.
The Atlanta Hawks have one of the best effective field goal percentages this season, ranking sixth in the league with an EFF% of 51.3%. When their opponents record a similar or higher EFF%, the Boston Celtics have a subpar 4-22 record.
On average, the Atlanta Hawks attempt 28.0 three point field goals per game and the Boston Celtics attempt 26.0 per game. In games where they attempt at least 25 threes, Atlanta has a 32-30 record and Boston has a 27-26 record.
The Atlanta Hawks rank ninth with an assist to turnover ratio of 1.75. The Boston Celtics have a higher A/TO (1.79), ranking sixth.
The Atlanta Hawks rebound 42.4 times per game and are ranked 24th. Ranked sixth, the Boston Celtics rebound 45.0 times per game.
Atlanta ranks in the top half of the NBA in defensive rebounding at seventh, while Boston ranks near the top of the league (fourth) in offensive rebounding.
Atlanta is among the best in forcing turnovers, with opponents averaging a TOV% of 15.4% (ranked fourth). Boston has a 13-10 record SU when its TOV% reaches 15.4% or greater.
