(My Sportsbook) - The first round of the NBA playoffs concludes Sunday afternoon when the Atlanta Hawks attempt to hold serve in Game 7 of their Eastern Conference quarterfinals series with the Miami Heat.

While a seventh game usually indicates a tough, hard-fought set, this has been anything but. Atlanta has won its three games by an average of 17 points while the Heat's average margin of victory has been an even more impressive 23 points.

Three of the games in the series have been decided by 26 or more and none of the contests have been closer than 10 at the buzzer.

Miami superstar Dwyane Wade fought off back spasms on Friday and scored 41 points, lifting the Heat to a 98-72 blowout over Atlanta to force a a deciding seventh game in the series.

Rookie star Michael Beasley notched 22 points and 15 rebounds for the Heat, who bounced back from a 106-91 loss on Wednesday.

Miami center Jermaine O'Neal sat out the game with a concussion suffered in Game 5 after being elbowed by Atlanta's Zaza Pachulia. Joel Anthony started in the former All-Star's place and contributed six points, eight rebounds and three blocks.

James Jones chipped in 11 points for the Heat, but Wade was the reason for Miami's pure dominance on Friday. He went 11-of-23 from the field and missed just one of his 17 foul shots.

"He was a titan tonight," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said after the game. "He really set the tone starting yesterday in our film session. He had his game face on."

Mike Bibby scored 20 for the Hawks, who remain one victory away from winning a postseason series for the first time since 1999.

The Hawks last won a playoff series in a best-of-five, first-round encounter with Detroit 10 years ago and will try for a best-of-seven triumph for the first time since 1970. Atlanta notched its first road playoff win since 1997 by capturing Game 4 on Monday, but fell behind by 14 after one quarter in this game and never recovered.

Joe Johnson and Flip Murray each had 13 points for the Hawks, who were without big man Al Horford (sprained ankle). Forward Marvin Williams was also originally expected to miss the contest due to a sprained wrist that caused him to sit out the previous three games, but he entered late in the first quarter. Williams played five minutes but missed his only shot and clearly wasn't ready.

Horford will be back in the starting lineup this afternoon and Williams may play but only in a limited role again.

"I was hoping the swelling would go down a little more. But I'm going to play regardless," Horford said.

The Heat, meanwhile, are playing coy with O'Neal's status. The big man did travel to Atlanta and will be a game-time decision.

The Hawks are just 2-8 all-time in Game 7 situations, having lost the last six such contests, including last year's debacle in Boston against the eventual champion Celtics. Their last Game 7 win came April 1, 1961 when the franchise was located in St. Louis. That was a victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.

The winner advances to play the top-seeded Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference semifinals beginning Tuesday in Cleveland.