Atlanta Hawks at Boston Celtics
Thursday, 12/16/10, 8:00 PM EDT, TV: TNT
Opening Point Spread: Boston -5.5
Current Betting Line: Boston -5.5
Atlanta was left with a bad taste in its mouth after suffering a humiliating defeat to tonight’s opponent earlier this season and nobody was more frustrated than first-year head coach Larry Drew. “This was very embarrassing,” he commented. “Very, very embarrassing. If I had one word to sum it up: embarrassing.” The Hawks possess a solid 16-10 overall record that includes a 12-6 mark versus Eastern Conference opponents. The team isn’t happy about its current standing due to posting an even 10-10 mark since starting the season 6-0 and falling 103-80 to the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday. Atlanta is 7-20 ATS when revenging a home loss versus an opponent the last three years.
The Hawks will be making just this single visit to the TD Garden and will need a better performance from their bench in trying to pull off a mild upset tonight. Atlanta’s reserves were outscored 46-14 against the Pistons and sixth-man Jamal Crawford managed just two points on 1-for-6 shooting. “It wasn’t just our bench guys,” stated Drew. “It was a struggle all around. We didn’t play with the energy and intensity that we needed to have on the road.” Many NBA experts believe that Atlanta simply needs to hold on until the return of injured guard Joe Johnson, who is back on the court and shooting after elbow surgery. There is still no timetable for his return.
Boston captured its 11th straight win in dramatic fashion with a come-from-behind 118-116 victory over the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. The Celtics were led by a season-high 32 points from Paul Pierce, including his game-winning jumper with 0.4 seconds remaining on the clock. “When I seen that shot, it was like Pierce went to a natural shooting rhythm and just seemed like he took a little more time,” said guard Ray Allen. The team is now 20-4 overall on the season and looks to improve a upon its 10-1 mark at home, which includes a perfect 8-0 record against the Eastern Conference. Boston is 5-0 ATS versus Southeast Division opponents and the NBA lines page is available for the most up-to-date line all day.
The Celtics captured a 99-76 road win over the Atlanta Hawks at Philips Arena on November 22, which was much needed due to being swept in the 2009-10 series. Last year was the first time Boston had been swept by Atlanta during the regular season since the 1998-99 season. The team never trailed in the first meeting and held a dominating 50-30 rebounding edge in the contest. Boston is 3-2 in the second game of back-to-backs this season and will likely be without the services of centers Jermaine O’Neal and Shaquille O’Neal.
Bettors will be interested in the Hawks being 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings, while the Celtics are 2-5 ATS on zero days rest.
The NBA handicappers at Maddux Sports are off to a flying start and can’t wait for you to join them tonight!
