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Update: The gates are open, but it looks like 7:45 p.m. ET is going to be an ambitious start time given the players haven’t participated in warmups yet.
Update: There’s going to be a slight delay for Game 3 between the Heat and Hawks due to a suspicious package found outside State Farm Arena. Look for the game to tip off around 7:45 p.m. ET instead of 7:00 p.m.
Tonight’s Game 3 in Atlanta has been delayed 30 minutes due to a State Farm Arena security issue. 7:45pm is the new expected tip time.
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) April 22, 2022
Security officers at State Farm Arena told me there was a suspicious package found outside of the arena. Security has closed a few gates here in Atlanta as law enforcement investigates.
— Chris Kirschner (@ChrisKirschner) April 22, 2022
The arena is practically empty with 25 minutes on the clock.
ESPN will host Friday’s matchup between the Atlanta Hawks and Miami Heat with tipoff set for 7:00 p.m. ET. The game will take place at State Farm Arena in Atlanta.
Hawks vs. Heat
Date: Friday, April 22
Start time: 7:00 p.m. ET
TV channel: ESPN
Live stream: WatchESPN
If you aren’t around a TV to check out this NBA matchup, you can stream the game via WatchESPN or the ESPN app. But keep in mind that you need a cable-login subscription. If you don’t have a cable login to access ESPN for a live stream, you can get a free trial from YouTube TV, Hulu with Live TV, AT&T TV Now, FuboTV, or Sling TV to stream the game.
The Hawks will look to avoid losing the first three games of this series, and DraftKings Sportsbook has them listed as slight underdogs heading into this matchup. Atlanta cut the lead to three points with a little more than 3 minutes to go but fell short in a 115-105 loss in Game 2. The Hawks shot just 30 percent from the three-point range, and Trae Young knocked down just 2-of-10 attempts from beyond the arc. Atlanta turned the ball over 19 times and will need to take care of the ball better because this series could end early.
The Heat will look to keep the pressure on the Hawks as the series moves to Atlanta. Jimmy Butler went off Tuesday night as he scored 45 points, knocking down 15-of-25 field goal attempts including 4-of-7 three-point shots and hit 11-of-12 free throws. If he does that again on Friday night, Miami will likely be one win away from pulling off a first round sweep over Atlanta.