The NBA Playoffs series between the Boston Celtics and Atlanta Hawks wasn’t expected to be like this. Boston, the overall series top-seed was playing the worst team in the playoffs and supposedly the easiest of all the match-ups. The problem is nobody told the Atlanta Hawks they were supposed to be an easy mark. Friday night the NBA Playoffs series between the Celtics and Hawks returns to Atlanta for game-6 in this best of seven-game series. So far to date, each side has won all the home games. If the Celtics can turn the tide in game-6, they can wrap-up the series and look to the second round.
Oddsmakers at online sports wagering giant Bodoglife.com have installed the Celtics an 8 ½-point favorite ATS with a 189 total. Money line prices were not available.
The Celtics dominated with a convincing 110-85 victory over the Hawks on Wednesday for a 3-2 series lead. The Celtics covered the 14.5-point spread, and the 195 points made it OVER the posted total of 187.
Paul Pierce scored a playoff-high 22 points and Ray Allen hit three 3-pointers in the middle of the third quarter Wednesday night to turn back the Hawks' last charge, leading Boston to a hard-fought victory. Kevin Garnett scored 20 points and Ray Allen had 19. Boston got a huge lift from its bench in the second quarter, when Sam Cassell scored nine points and Leon Powe had seven with five rebounds while holding Al Horford to a pair of baskets.
Joe Johnson, who erupted for 35 points in Game 4, 20 of them in the fourth quarter, scored 21, and Horford had 14 points and 10 rebounds for Atlanta. Mike Bibby continued to struggle in Boston, scoring six while recording one assist for the third straight road game.
