It was a playoff atmosphere at State Farm Arena last night as Trae Young delivered the dagger to send the Brooklyn Nets home with a 122-115 loss and propelled the Hawks into the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference with just four games remaining in the regular season.
Coming off an appearance in the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021, it’s been a bit of an up and down year for the Hawks, but having now won five in a row, this looks like the team many expected to see when the season tipped off. With that in mind, Jon Chuckery stated this morning that it may be time to consider the Hawks contenders once again.
“I do think that the Hawks, right now, are contenders…If they can get themselves into any sort of seven-game series, they are going to be a really tough out for anybody. Maybe they don’t match up as favorably with Miami or Milwaukee but they’re not going to go down easy," he said.
In recent weeks, the Hawks have now defeated a pair of top teams in the West— the Grizzlies and Warriors—and now, the loaded Brooklyn Nets. While they have shown the ability to beat some of the better teams in the NBA, head-scratching losses to teams like the Pistons have kept this Hawks team from maintaining their contender status at times.
Speaking of status, Chuckery noted that the availability of John Collins will play a role in how far the Hawks can go in the postseason, and after a season riddled with injuries, the team as a whole must find a way to stay healthy.
As for where the Hawks will land in terms of seeding, a lot can change between now and the end of the season. While they have clinched a spot in the play-in tournament, they could find themselves anywhere between the 7th and the 10th seed. They do hold an outside shot at avoiding the play-in altogether, but that could be put to rest tonight if the Raptors beat the Heat.
Just one game separates the Hawks from the Hornets & Nets and Atlanta is two games back of the Cavs—another team that the Hawks beat during their current winning streak—who occupy the 7-seed.
The Hawks continue the race to the postseason Tuesday against the Raptors on the road before taking the Wizards at home, the Heat on the road and they'll wrap up the regular season in Houston.