- The Atlanta Hawks rallied from a 16-point deficit to beat the Miami Heat 111-110 to win Game 3 of their Best-of-7 first-round series on Friday night.
- Trae Young scored 10 points in the final 3.5 minutes including a floater with 4.4 seconds left to give the Hawks the win.
- Miami is still a -700 favorite to win the series and a -2 point spread betting favorite in Game 4.
The Atlanta Hawks are not yet done.
After losing by double-digits to the top-seeded Miami Heat in the first two games of their first-round playoff series, the Hawks literally rose from the grave in Game 3 not just to keep their season alive but to stay within striking distance of the Heat.
Hawks Were as High as +1400 on the Live ML
Hawks were as high as +1400 on the live ML ? pic.twitter.com/AQbzISIUXy
— Caesars Sportsbook (@CaesarsSports) April 23, 2022
Trae Young continued his shooting woes as he shot just 6-14 from the field. However, Ice Trae still finished the game with a game-high 24 points including 10 in the final 3.5 minutes of the game when it mattered most. Young’s floater over Jimmy Butler with 4.4 seconds left in the game gave the Hawks a 111-110 lead that they would hold on to for the Game 3 victory.
Young outscored the entire Heat team 10-9 in total clutch points while also joining Oscar Robertson as the only player in NBA history to score 500 points and issue 150 assists in fewer than 20 playoff games. Ice Trae also became the fastest and youngest player in Atlanta Hawks history to score 500 points in the playoffs.
Miami looked like they were headed to a 3-0 lead as PJ Tucker led a 21-0 run that gave them an 84-68 lead in the third quarter. At that point in the game, Atlanta’s live ML odds swelled to +1400. But Young and the Hawks chipped away at the lead and cut it to a manageable nine-point lead to start the 4th period.
Series is Now 2-1
?HAWKS WIN?
The Series is now 2-1. pic.twitter.com/3WUgqMp7QK
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) April 23, 2022
With the win, the series is now 2-1 in favor of the Heat. It could have easily been 3-0 and sure elimination for the Hawks as no team in the history of the NBA playoffs has ever come back from a 0-3 deficit to win the series. By winning Game 3, the Hawks held court and unless Miami wins on in Atlanta, the Hawks are still very much alive and well in the series.
Despite the Hawks’ win, the oddsmakers are still very high on the Heat. According to online sportsbook BetOnline, the Heat are still a massive -700 to win the series with the Hawks coming back at +520. The same betting also favors Miami to win the series in five games at +125 odds. In comparison, Atlanta’s shortest odds to win the series is at +750 odds ( 4-3 series win ).
Meanwhile, the Heat have opened as a -2 point spread and -130 Moneyline favorites to win Sunday’s Game 4 which will also be played at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta. This represents the shortest underdog odds for the Hawks in the series as they were a +6.5 in Game 1 and a +8 in Game 2.
