NBA Picks and Predictions for Tuesday April 14
Our team of writers and handicappers hand out their NBA picks and predictions for Tuesday, April 14.
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Miami Heat at Atlanta Hawks, 7:05PM ET
Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra had nothing but good things to say about Dwyane Wade after the MVP candidate delivered one of the best performances of his career to help the team clinch the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
An encore effort from Wade in his next game would likely inspire even more confidence as Miami heads toward the postseason.
Wade looks to follow a remarkable performance with another strong outing Tuesday night when the Heat visit the Hawks in a preview of the teams' first-round playoff series beginning this weekend in Atlanta.
Wade scored a career-high 55 points Sunday night to lead Miami (42-38) to a 122-105 win over New York that wrapped up the No. 5 spot. It was the 11th 50-point game in the NBA this season and the third by Wade, the league's scoring leader with 30.2 points per game.
NBA Free Pick: Atlanta | Best Line: -8 Sports Interaction
Boston Celtics at Philadelphia 76ers, 8:05PM ET
The Boston Celtics wanted Kevin Garnett to play in at least one game before the playoffs. They'll now have to wait until the postseason to get their star big man back on the court.
Following one of their worst losses of the season, the Celtics face the struggling Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday night in a matchup of teams that could meet in the first round.
Boston coach Doc Rivers decided Monday there was no point to bring back Garnett, who has missed 21 of the last 25 games with a strained right knee, for two meaningless contests.
The Celtics (60-20), who finish the regular season against Washington on Wednesday night, have wrapped up the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference.
They had won six straight since shelving Garnett again, but lost 107-76 to East champion Cleveland on Sunday. It was Boston's most lopsided defeat in 173 games against the Cavaliers.
NBA Free Pick: Philadelphia | Best Line: -5 Sports Interaction
Utah Jazz at Los Angeles Lakers, 10:35PM ET
It's not yet guaranteed that the Los Angeles Lakers will face the Utah Jazz in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.
But if the Lakers' make their intended statement Tuesday night, it will be.
Both teams will finish their regular seasons at Staples Center, and if the Jazz want any chance of avoiding the No. 8 seed and a return trip to Los Angeles, they'll have to avoid a sixth straight road loss to the Lakers.
While the Lakers (64-17) have long since locked up the top seed in the West as they gear up for another run at the franchise's 15th NBA title, eighth-place Utah is one game behind New Orleans and Dallas with one game to play.
The Jazz (48-33) hold the tiebreaker over both teams, so a win over Los Angeles would give them a chance to move up if either the Hornets or Mavericks lose their finale Wednesday. But a loss would setup a rematch with the Lakers, who eliminated Utah in six games in a conference semifinal series last year.
NBA Free Pick: Los Angeles | Best Line: -6.5 Sports Interaction