Brooklyn will have an uphill battle if it wants to knock off Atlanta. The Nets have struggled in matchups against the NBA’s best, going 12-31 against .500 or better teams.
MORE: Eight teams that could win it all | Lottery odds | Brooks’ future uncertain | Buy playoff tickets
Not only do these year’s stats tell us the Hawks are the likely victors, but only five No. 8 seeds have ever won their first-round series.
Schedule/TV (All times Eastern)
Game 1 — Sun. April 19, Brooklyn at Atlanta, 5:30 p.m., TNT Game 2 — Wed. April 22, Brooklyn at Atlanta, 7:00 p.m., NBA TV Game 3 — Sat. April 25, Atlanta at Brooklyn, 3:00 p.m., TNT Game 4 — Mon. April 27, Atlanta at Brooklyn, TBD Game 5 * — Wed. April 29, Brooklyn at Atlanta, TBD Game 6 * — Fri. May 1, Atlanta at Brooklyn, TBD Game 7 * — Sun. May 3, Brooklyn at Atlanta, TBD
- If necessary
Season series: 4-0 Atlanta.
Key players: As previously mentioned, the Hawks’ starting five has been one of the best in the league. The only member of the starting five who wasn’t named an All-Star is DeMarre Carroll. Teague is eighth in the NBA in assists per game with 7.0.
The Nets’ roster doesn’t feature any All-Stars, but still has some talent on it. Brook Lopez is a solid defender and averages 17.2 points per game, which leads the team.
PLAYOFFS: Cavs-Celtics preview | TV schedule, info | First-round matchups, predictions
Injuries: The Hawks just recently lost bench player Thabo Sefolosha for the season after he broke his ankle during a scuffle with police. Mike Scott (back) is also questionable for the team’s first game.
The Nets are relatively healthy, as the only player who is questionable is Alan Anderson (ankle).
Prediction: Hawks in 5.
