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Pro Basketball Betting – Carroll’s Attendance Critical For Hawks’ Game 2 Defensive Effort

  • Updated: May 21, 2015
    • Pro Basketball Betting Carrolls Attendance Critical For Hawks Game 2 Defensive Effort

    By Charles Jay

    It is no secret that the best wing defender the Atlanta Hawks possess is DeMarre Carroll, who is perhaps also the team’s most athletic player and probably the one who has played with the most consistency in the post-season. That is why there is some doubt being cast over the Hawks’ chances in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals as Carroll is undergoing treatment for a sprained knee.

    Pro Basketball Betting: Game 2 Hawks vs Cavaliers

    In the pro basketball betting odds placed on this game by the folks at BetAnySports, the Hawks are the slight favorites, in what has to be a dire situation as they desperately want to avoid going into a two-game hole before heading to Cleveland:

    Atlanta Hawks -1.5
    Cleveland Cavaliers +1.5

    Over 197 points -110
    Under 197 points -110

    Pro Basketball Betting Carrolls Attendance Critical For Hawks Game 2 Defensive Effort

    The injury, as BetAnySports customers witnessed, was of the non-contact variety, and an MRI that was taken is revealing no structural damage. So there is the possibility that he is going to play. And he’d be needed, as his absence could spell an open invitation for LeBron James to run roughshod. James was too much for Paul Millsap to handle with Carroll out of the game, and he rambled to a 31-point evening, staying away from ill-fated three-point attempts, perhaps mindful of the fact that he had been shooting 15% from beyond the arc during the playoffs. Behind King James, not to mention the explosive JR Smith off the bench, the Cleveland Cavaliers rolled to a 97-89 road victory, with the opportunity to go up 2-0 on Friday at 8:30 PM ET.

    Carroll, as mentioned, may have been Atlanta’s best player during this post-season, which has been marked by inconsistency on the part of the team’s four All-Stars. He is shooting 51.3% from the field and averaging a little more than 16 points. This included six straight games of 20 or more points, spread over the series against Brooklyn and Washington.

    It would admittedly be difficult for Atlanta to match up defensively if they don’t have Carroll, who was not ail that effective on offense the other night, with just two field goals in more than 34 minutes. Obviously the 6-foot-7 Kyle Korver can be a liability on defense, and neither Kent Bazemore nor Mike Scott appear to have what it takes. Maybe it will be Millsap again, with some help coming from somewhere. And if the Hawks have to make a lineup change, it upsets the team chemistry they have worked so hard to develop in Mike Budenholzer’s motion-oriented offense.

    The Cavs, who are now -470 favorites to win this series at BetAnySports, may not have a 100% healthy Kyrie Irving, but JR Smith’s effort off the bench gave every indication that he is ready to stick Atlanta with some double trouble. Smith nailed no less than EIGHT triples en route to 28 points and then added eight rebounds as an additional surprise. This can only compound the Hawks’ defensive dilemma.

    Of course, if Carroll doesn’t suffer any lasting effects from this injury (and ’round-the-clock treatment sometimes works wonders – you should try it sometime), then there is a potential impediment in LeBron’s way. Cleveland is not a team that thrives on offensive balance, so slowing down James has a domino effect, which will apply whether Smith gets hot again or not.

    BetAnySports is ready to make you a winner for the NBA playoffs, with lots of wagering opportunities, including Live Betting Extra, which enables you to place almost unlimited bets on the game as it is in progress…….Remember that you get to open your account using a Visa card or Bitcoin as just two of the options!