Playoff positioning is on the line once again at the Highlight Factory, this time for both teams on the floor. The Atlanta Hawks can cement their claim on the final playoff spot in the East, and maybe build some momentum against a first-round opponent, with another victory at Philips Arena against the Miami HEAT (7:30 PM Eastern, SportSouth, SUN Sports Network).

It’s Hip Hop Night and already, the HEAT got what the Hawks need. Miami (54-25) traded places at the top of the conference with a victory back home against the Indiana Pacers. Indy, though, holds a tiebreaker with a superior in-conference record (37-14) to Miami (34-15). Another loss for the defending NBA champs tonight would not only drop them back into a tie, it could cede an eventual conference title game to the Pacers’ homecourt.

So, the HEAT will need all hands on deck to secure a win tonight. You heard that, Dwyane Wade? Flash has been far from feeling like a grandmaster lately. He’s been saddled with hamstring and Achilles issues since March 26 and has been rested for nine straight games. Head Coach Erik Spoelstra would prefer his franchise pillar to be as close to 100 percent as possible when the playoffs start. But with a possible Conference Finals Game 7 site hanging in the balance, he can’t afford any slip-ups in the forthcoming road games at Atlanta (36-43) and Washington.

In Wade’s place, Jonesboro’s Toney Douglas has been starting in the backcourt for 12 of the past 13 games alongside Mario Chalmers. A mid-season acquisition (Miami sent Joel Anthony, two future draft picks, and cash to the Celtics as part of a three-way trade), Douglas has provided defensive pressure but not much else (4.8 PPG, 2.5 APG, 41.7 FG%, 26.9 3FG%) in the starter’s role, although the deal that brought him to Miami will bring the HEAT salary cap relief this summer. Douglas’ presence also keeps sharpshooter Ray Allen (2.4 3FGs/game, 12.9 PPG, 41.4 3FG% last 12 games) coming off the bench as fresh as Doug E.

Also out of action since March 26 has been season-long experiment Greg Oden, ushering Miami mainstay Udonis Haslem (60.3 FG% as a starter; 38.3 FG% as a reserve) back to the top line. Having a second big keeps Chris Bosh from having to log heavy minutes at the 5-spot, and allows likely MVP runner-up LeBron James to shift to the small forward role.

Dealing with insignificant contributions from the centers, uneven performances from Bosh, the excused absences from Wade, and a decline in three-point production (36.7 team 3FG%, down from 39.2% last year), James has become more of a do-everything player than even in his previous MVP seasons. In addition to being Miami’s top scorer (career-high 56.9 FG% and 62.4 2FG%), rebounder, and passer, he’s becoming their most likely three-point shooter (1.5 3FGs per game, slightly behind Allen) and turnover-creator (1.6 SPG, a shade behind Chalmers). He has been able to leave the rim-protection to Bosh and Chris Andersen, as his 0.3 BPG is a career-low.

Rebounding has been a problem all-season long for the HEAT (last in NBA for offensive rebounds and defensive rebounds per-48), although the issues have been tempered by a snail’s pace (93.2 possessions per-48, 27^th in NBA) and smart shot-selection (50.3 FG%, only NBA team shooting above 50%). The absence of boards becomes more pronounced whenever the HEAT take their show on the road, getting outrebounded by an average of over five per game.

With insufficient second-chance opportunities, a bad shooting night eventually spells doom for Miami (3-10 when shooting below 45 percent). DeMarre Carroll and Elton Brand can help the Hawks’ cause by forcing tough shots from James and Bosh, and helping the Hawks win the rebounding battles.

Carroll was a DNP-CD last season in a win-or-go-home regular season finale, when Paul Millsap, Al Jefferson and the Jazz lost in Memphis. Jefferson’s Charlotte Bobcats are already set for the postseason, and Millsap and Carroll remain eager to join them as soon as possible. Conceivably, Atlanta could wait until Wednesday in Milwaukee to try and nail down the final playoff spot. But they know they can leave a far more impressive mark by taking out the East’s top two teams in the space of a week.

Last night, they also managed to beat a shorthanded Nets team that hadn’t lost in Brooklyn in over two months. That was despite a sloppy start and wayward team shooting from the perimeter (1-for-19 3FGs, fewest threes made in almost three years). Escaping with the win and adhering to the Law of Averages should have the Hawks’ shooters coming into tonight’s game feeling confident. But Atlanta’s guards will be challenged along the perimeter by the roving Chalmers and Douglas. Meanwhile, Shane Battier will work through screens to keep up with Kyle Korver, whose mini-Threak concluded last night after 13 games.

Even if the iron remains a little unkind for Atlanta, having James and Bosh treading out to defend perimeter shooters will spread Miami’s defense thin and allow Millsap and Pero Antić ample opportunities to get putbacks and extend possessions (14.4 Miami opponent second-chance points per 100 possessions, 4^th most in NBA).

Go Hawks!

~lw3