The Cleveland Cavaliers and their third-ranked offense head to Atlanta to take on the Hawks and their second-ranked defense in Game of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Action gets underway at 3:30 pm ET on Sunday, May 8 and will air on ABC and C+D.
The Hawks are hoping for a better outcome after their 121-108 loss to the Cavaliers on Friday. Al Horford was the team’s high scorer, contributing 24 points.
Baskets could be hard to come by as Atlanta ranks second in the league, allowing just 99.7 points per 100 possessions, while Cleveland is fifth (103.1). Also, the Cavaliers’s third-ranked offense (offensive efficiency of 109.7) will face off against the second-ranked defense of the Hawks (defensive efficiency of 99.7).
The Hawks enter the game with records of 52-39 Straight Up (SU) and 44-45-2 Against The Spread (ATS). They have gone 52-39 SU and 44-45-2 ATS against teams from the Eastern Conference. 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 18.1 points off turnovers per game.
Over on the other bench, the Cavaliers have 64-25 SU and 42-45-2 ATS records. Cleveland has not performed well ATS during its last 10 games, earning a 3-7 record. The Cavaliers rarely make costly errors handling the ball. They have the fifth-best assist-to-turnover ratio in the league at 1.81. Shifting to the other side of the court, the Cavaliers allow just 98.3 points per road game, ranking them third in the league.
Cleveland beat Atlanta in their most recent meeting this season, bumping its SU record over the last 10 meetings to 10-0. The Cavaliers also lead the matchup ATS with a record of 9-1.
Predictions: SU Winner – Cle
Notes
“Atlanta is 3-8 ATS in its last 11 games “.
“Atlanta is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games “.
“The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Atlanta’s last 11 games “.
“Atlanta is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games at home”.
“Atlanta is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games at home”.
“The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Atlanta’s last 7 games at home”.
“Atlanta is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Cleveland”.
“Atlanta is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Cleveland”.
“The total has gone OVER in 6 of Atlanta’s last 8 games when playing Cleveland”.
“Atlanta is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Cleveland”.
Atlanta puts up 102.6 points per game (ranked 12th), but Cleveland typically gives up only 98.2 points per game (ranked fifth).
Atlanta ranks 19th in points per home game with 103.5 points, while Cleveland ranks third in points allowed on the road with 98.3.
The Atlanta Hawks have a winning record (36-9) when their opponents score fewer than 100 points this season. The Cleveland Cavaliers are 12-16 when they don’t hit triple digits.
The Atlanta Hawks have a poor 16-30 record in games where they have allowed at least 100 points. The Cleveland Cavaliers are 52-9 when they hit triple digits.
The Hawks have an offensive rating of 103.2 (ranked 20th). The Cavaliers rank fifth for their defensive rating of 103.1.
The Atlanta Hawks average 99.4 possessions per game and 1.032 points per possession, while the Cleveland Cavaliers earn fewer possessions (95.4) but more points per possession (1.097).
The Atlanta Hawks have one of the best effective field goal percentages this season, ranking sixth in the league with an EFF% of 51.4%. The Cleveland Cavaliers have a winning 23-12 record in games where opponents have a similar or higher EFF%.
On average, Atlanta attempts 28.0 three pointers and Cleveland attempts 30.0 per game. In games where the teams have 25 or more three point attempts, the Hawks are even at 33-33 while the Cavaliers have a solid 49-20 record.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are among the best in the league with an assist to turnover ratio of 1.81 (ranked fifth). Ranking ninth, the Atlanta Hawks have an A/TO of 1.75.
The Hawks rank 24th in rebounds per game with 42.3, while the Cavaliers rank 10th with 44.4 per game.
Atlanta is ranked ninth in defensive rebounds, while Cleveland ranks 11th in offensive rebounds.
On average, the Hawks force a turnover rate of 15.3%, ranked first in the NBA. When the Cavaliers turn over the ball at a similar or higher rate, the team has a solid 20-9 record.
