The Atlanta Hawks have ridden a rollercoaster of a season, but despite adversity, they’re still in the playoff hunt.
Losing Jalen Johnson—arguably their second-best player—for the year cast serious doubt on their postseason hopes. Yet the team managed to adjust and stay in the fight.
A midseason shakeup saw the Hawks trade away De’Andre Hunter, who had been playing at a high level. In return, they bolstered their roster with experienced veterans like Caris LeVert and Georges Niang.
Another significant move sent Bogdan Bogdanovic to the Clippers in exchange for Terance Mann, adding more grit and versatility to their lineup.
Now, with the regular season drawing to a close, Atlanta has earned the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference after a key win over the Philadelphia 76ers.
That victory locked them into a Play-In Tournament matchup against the Orlando Magic—a team that just beat them earlier this week and will be their opponent again in the season finale.
The stakes are high: if the Hawks beat Orlando in the Play-In, they’ll advance to face the top-seeded Boston Celtics in Round 1. But if they lose, they’ll get one more shot at a playoff berth against the winner of the Miami Heat vs.
Chicago Bulls matchup, with a first-round series against the Cleveland Cavaliers on the line.
It’s win-or-go-home time in Atlanta, and the Hawks will need everything they’ve got to keep the season alive.
