Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
Can Atlanta Hawks Win Series Against Miami Heat?
The Atlanta Hawks always dig themselves in a hole and often find a way out of their predicaments. But they are testing fate now. The Miami Heat are up 2-0 as the series moves to Atlanta for the next two games. So realistically, what are the Hawks chances of coming back and winning the series?
Since 1971, 188 teams have fallen behind 0-2 in the first round of the playoffs, and just 12 have won the series (6.4%). Overall, 7.1% of teams recover from an 0-2 hole. However, the numbers get less optimistic when you factor in seeding.
Only four 8-seeds have defeated the 1-seed in the NBA Playoffs. Only one team, the 1994 Denver Nuggets, came back from 0-2 to upset the 8-seed. That just so happened to be against the Seattle SuperSonics, which Hawks head coach Nate McMillan played for at the time. But remember, that was a best-of-five series.
Current computer models are not high on the Hawks chances either. FiveThirtyEight gives the Hawks a 12% chance of advancing to the second round and a 4% chance of returning to the Eastern Conference Finals. Unfortunately, the oddsmakers are equally skeptical of the Hawks chances in this series and beyond.
The good news is the Hawks host the next two games and play well at home. They have won 20 of their last 23 games at State Farm Arena. As always, we will have you covered for all of your gameday content tomorrow. Stay locked into Sports Illustrated's AllHawks.com for breaking news, highlights, and analysis.
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