The Atlanta Hawks play the defending champions Golden State Warriors at the Oracle Arena on Tuesday 11/13/18.
The Hawks have lost eight out of their last nine games including the last four. Meanwhile, the Warriors are coming off an overtime loss the Los Angeles Clippers and are looking to get back in the winning circle.
The Atlanta Hawks have struggled to start the season at 3-10 and they enter this game having lost four straight games including a one point heat breaker against LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers last Sunday. But the Hawks’ predicament isn’t anything surprising because they are on a rebuilding mode and not expected to compete for a playoff spot.
What the Hawks want though is to break in their young point guard Trae Young, whom they traded for in the 2018 NBA Draft. So far, Young has been good as advertised, averaging 18.2 points and 8.2 assists per game to lead the team. He is also 2nd among rookies in scoring and tops in assists among first year players. Young is also making 1.8 three pointers per game but he needs to improve his accuracy from deep which is currently at 26.2%.
Atlanta ranks only 19th in the NBA in scoring at 109.3 points and they are 10th in assists with 24.6 dimes per game. However, the Hawks only grab a total of 44.3 rebounds per game, 18th in the league. But what’s hurt them most is that they allowed the second most points in the NBA at 118.3 The latter is going to be a problem because they are facing what is probably the best offensive team in the history of the NBA in the Golden State Warriors.
The Hawks’ visit to the Bay Area was supposed to be the first meeting between Hawks’ rookie Trae Young and the Warriors’ two-time MVP Stephen Curry. Young has often been compared to Curry in terms of shooting and passing. But the matchup will have to wait because Curry is out of action with a groin injury and will still not suit up for this game.
Without Curry, the Warriors dropped a 116-121 overtime game to the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday night in Los Angeles. The loss was the Dubs’ second in the last three games and after they won eight straight games. Without Curry, Kevin Durant led the Dubs with 33 points and Klay Thompson added 31 markers but on 13-31 shooting, including 5-16 from behind the three point area. Thompson has struggled to shoot the three ball this season, making just 35.6% of his three pointers. Klay is a career 42.0% shooter from downtown.
Golden State leads the NBA in three point shooting percentage at 41.9% and are sixth in three pointers made at 12.5 three point baskets per game. But with Curry’s current season production of 5.2 three pointers per game at a 49.2% accuracy, Thompson and Durant will need to pick up the slack if the Warriors want to continue to dominate their opponents.
The Hawks enter this game having lost 8 out of their last 9 games overall. The Hawks are 1-4 SU in their last five games and 1-5 SU in their six road games played this season. The only team the Hawks have beaten on the road is Cleveland. On the other hand, the Warriors are 9-1 SU in their last 10 games played entering Monday’s game against the Clippers and 4-1 SU in their last 5 games played at home. Overall, the Dubs are 7-1 at the Oracle Arena this season.
The Warriors lead the all-time series 147-142 but the Dubs have won nine out of the last 10 games played between these two teams including the last seven. The Dubs swept the Hawks in the last three season series. The Dubs are 7-0 SU in their last 7 games played against Atlanta and 6-0 SU in their last six home games against the Hawks.
The Hawks are in a pretty bad situation here. Sure, the Dubs are playing without Steph Curry again but they are doing so at the Warriors’ home floor where they are 7-1 this season. Meanwhile, the Hawks are only 1-6 on the road. Worse, the Warriors would surely play harder in this game as they are coming off a loss and would not want to lose two games in a row at the expense of the lowly Hawks.
The Dubs still have plenty firepower without Curry. They may struggle without him but only against the elite or playoff teams. No disrespect but a team like the Hawks doesn’t have enough firepower to hang with the champs. We’re picking the Golden State Warriors to beat the Atlanta Hawks on 11/13/18.
The Hawks are 5-8 ATS in 13 games played this season and 3-4 ATS in their seven road games so far. The Hawks are 3-2 ATS in their last 5 games played and 3-2 ATS in their last 5 games on the road.On the other hand, the Warriors are 8-5 ATS in their 13 games played heading to Monday’s games and 6-2 ATS in their 8 games played at home so far this campaign. The Dubs though are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games overall and 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games played. Head to head, the Hawks are 3-2 ATS in their last five games against the Warriors are 5-5 ATS in their last 10 games overall.
Even without Steph Curry, the Dubs still have plenty of firepower on their squad The Hawks don’t have the same luxury and will need a big night from Trae Young to at least have a chance in this game. Golden State’s last three wins have come by at least 16 points, including the 16 point win over the Nets which they played without Steph Curry. Prediction: Warriors -13.5
The over is 7-6 in the Hawks’ 13 games this season and the over is also 4-3 in Atlanta’s seven road games played so far. The total has gone under though in three out of the last five games of the Hawks and the under is 2-3 in their last five road games played. Entering Monday’s games, the over is 7-6 in the Dubs’ 13 games played this season but the under is 5-3 in their 8 games played at the Oracle Arena. Head to head, the under is 6-4 in the last 10 meetings between these two teams.
Golden State is without Curry who leads them in scoring. They put up 116 point last night but in an overtime effort. This is the second game of a back to back for the Warriors and after going to overtime, they should feel tired right now. Prediction: Under 230.5
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