On April 27, 2022, the Miami Heat will host the Atlanta Hawks at home. In the previous four-game series, the Heat led the Hawks 3-1. This game is a life-and-death battle for the Hawks. Judging from the previous four series, the gap between the strength of the two teams is still relatively obvious, so most fans believe that the Heat will win the fifth game and win the entire series. However, before the game, the Heat came with some bad news, and the two core players will miss G5.
Yesterday, the US media ESPN reported that Heat guard Kyle Lowry will miss the fourth game of the series due to a hamstring injury. Unexpectedly, today, the Heat officials conveniently announced that Jimmy Butler will miss today's game because of right knee inflammation. Fans familiar with the Miami Heat know that Butler is the core of the Heat's offense, and Lowry is the organizational core of the team. This time there are two missing generals, and the Heat will also face a huge test. In the last game, the Heat still won without Lowry, but it was thanks to Butler's excellent performance. Even Butler was absent in this game, and the Heat could only rely on others, especially Adebayo and Hiro, to perform at a higher level. The only good thing is that the Heat are a very balanced team, and even without Butler and Lowry, they can still put on a good competitive lineup.
Butler's absence from Lowry is good news for the Hawks, who have been pushed to the edge of the cliff. But even without Butler and Lowry, the Heat are still a strong team, and if the Hawks want to win this life-and-death battle, Trae Young, as the core, really needs to stand up. In the previous four series, Trae Young averaged only 16.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, 6 assists and 6 turnovers per game, shooting only 35% from the field and only 21% from three-point range, which is far from the regular season. Under the heat's strict defense, Trae Young did not find any way. Now that it's a crucial battle, the Heat are short of major generals, and Butler and Lowry still happen to be the key to the Heat's outside defense. In this favorable situation, if Trae Young still can't play a high level of performance, then he is really just a regular season star, and the Eagles will most likely have to go home to prepare for the new season.
The absence of the Heat's two core players is a test for the Heat, and if the Heat can win the game in this situation, it means that they can go further this season. And for the Hawks, it's an opportunity, a chance to come back, even if it's not a big one, but the NBA is always a place full of miracles.