Getty Atlanta Hawks big men John Collins and Clint Capela defend Ben Simmons of the Sixers during a 2021 playoff game.
On Friday night, the Miami Heat finally learned who their opponents would be in the first round of the NBA Playoffs as the Hawks outlasted the Cavs in the battle for the No. 8 seed. Last season, Trae Young and the ATL crew were the Cinderella story of the 2021 postseason, making a surprising run to the East Finals.
Against a Heat squad that has a title or bust mentality, though, the Hawks will have a tough time seeing Round 2. And they just hit a speed bump on their road to advancement.
Hawks center Clint Capela suffered a right knee hyperextension during Friday’s play-in bout when the Cavs’ Evan Mobley fell into him. Capela had fouled the rookie from behind in order to prevent him from getting a clear shot off. Unfortunately, Mobley’s backward momentum was subsequently halted by Capela’s planted leg.
Now, Atlanta could find itself without the aid of its defensive stalwart against Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and the South Beach bunch.
Capela Could Miss a Week-Plus
Capela had already been ruled out for Game 1 against the Heat, but the situation looks to be even worse than that for the Hawks. Per a report by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski on Saturday, the 27-year-old is a safe bet to miss multiple games as a result of his injury.
Via Wojnarowski:
MRI on Atlanta Hawks center Clint Capela’s right knee revealed no structural damage and he’s expected to be evaluated again in a week, sources tell ESPN. He will clearly miss significant time in this Hawks-Heat playoff series, if he’s even able to return before it’s over.
A week before postseason play tipped off, Capela dropped 17 points on 8-of-11 shooting and 14 rebounds against Miami. For the year, he averaged 11.1 points, 11.9 boards and 1.3 blocks per contest.
With his paint presence missing for the time being, Adebayo and Heat drivers could have a field day down low throughout the series. Added Woj: “His absence will be significant on Atlanta’s frontline.”
That said, the Hawks did receive one piece of good news; something that could make life at least a little harder on the Heat.
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John Collins Will Attempt to Play Game 1
Although he’s currently listed as questionable to participate on Sunday, Hawks star John Collins will be in the lineup for Game 1, according to The Athletic‘s Shams Charania and Chris Kirschner. The 24-year-old hasn’t played since March 11 because of foot and finger injuries.
Per Kirschner, Collins has experienced difficulty when trying to grip the basketball. If that continues to be the case, the Heat may have dodged another bullet, even if he does play.
The Hawks forward displayed a smooth shooting stroke in games against Miami this season. Over three appearances, he averaged 15.7 points while connecting on 60% of his shots overall and a blistering 66.7% from three-point range (hitting six of his nine attempts).
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