Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Vegas Play of the Day: Atlanta Hawks at Cleveland Cavaliers

LeBron James

AP Photo/David Goldman

Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James reacts after making the basket and drawing a foul against the Atlanta Hawks during the second half in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals of the NBA basketball playoffs, Friday, May 22, 2015, in Atlanta.

The NBA Playoffs have drained my $10,000 starting bankroll in the South Point-lined Play of the Day, but I can’t stay away.

It’s back to the Eastern Conference finals again tonight.

Atlanta Hawks plus-9 at Cleveland Cavaliers: $330 to win $300

This might be further bankroll sabotage, but I’m too stubborn to entirely dismiss the Hawks. They won’t win the series — any chance of that was erased by losing both the first two games at home and Kyle Korver to an injury.

But this team feels just as unlikely to give up. The prospect of a sweep can’t sit well with a team that’s coming off one of the best seasons in franchise history.

And it’s easy to forget with how the first two games in the series went, but the Cavaliers don’t have an overwhelming talent advantage over the Hawks.

Cleveland is still dealing with injuries as meaningful as Atlanta’s with Kyrie Irving a game-time decision once again.

LeBron James can’t have an otherworldly performance in every game. J.R. Smith is not going to continue to make more than half of his 3-pointers.

The Hawks will have some new wrinkles and won’t die without a fight.

Standings: Bern (79-70-1, $11,300), Keefer (80-80-2, $9,317), Brewer (70-83-3, $2,225)

Case Keefer can be reached at 948-2790 or [email protected]. Follow Case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer.

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