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The Atlanta Hawks Make No Sense: A 2016-2017 Season Recap

By Jake Martinsek

Feb 8, 2017; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Hawks head coach Mike Budenholzer talks with forward Paul Millsap (4) and forward Kent Bazemore (24) and guard Dennis Schroder (17) and guard Tim Hardaway Jr. (10) and center Dwight Howard (8) during a time out in the fourth quarter of their game game against the Denver Nuggets at Philips Arena. The Hawks won 117-106. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 8, 2017; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Hawks head coach Mike Budenholzer talks with forward Paul Millsap (4) and forward Kent Bazemore (24) and guard Dennis Schroder (17) and guard Tim Hardaway Jr. (10) and center Dwight Howard (8) during a time out in the fourth quarter of their game game against the Denver Nuggets at Philips Arena. The Hawks won 117-106. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports /
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Apr 9, 2017; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Hawks center Dwight Howard (8) grabs a rebound against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second quarter at Philips Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 9, 2017; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Hawks center Dwight Howard (8) grabs a rebound against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second quarter at Philips Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports /

Soon after this game, we transition from the Dennis Schroder Shenanigans era to the current day Atlanta Hawks. It doesn’t get any more nonsensical than the last two weeks of the Hawks season.

After dropping two games to the 16 win Brooklyn Nets, the Atlanta Hawks have suddenly become an unstoppable juggernaut. Over the course of four days, the Hawks beat the first seed in the Eastern Conference three times. One of the wins came against the Boston Celtics. The other two are games that will go down as some of the biggest upsets in NBA history.

The first game should have been a guaranteed loss. As the game was the second night of a back to back, the Hawks chose to rest all five of their starting players. Because the Hawks make no sense, they would blow out the defending champions. The game featured a 21-2 fourth-quarter run and 39 assists by the Hawks. The most assists the Hawks have registered in two full years.

Somehow, the Hawks pulled off an even more improbable win just two days later. After falling behind by 26 points, the Hawks would outscore the Cavaliers 44-18 in the 4th quarter to force overtime. The Hawks would win the overtime period by one point and win the game. All of this was done without Dwight Howard on the floor, who was far and away the best Hawk on the floor for three-quarters. Dwight scored 19 points on 9-12 shooting before he was taken out for the game.

So here we are with two games left in the season. The Hawks have all but officially clinched the 5th seed in the East. If the Hawks clinch the 5th seed, they will be facing the Washington Wizards in the first round. The Cavaliers appear to be punting the 1st seed away and if the Celtics can take it, they have the Hawks to thank.

This would set up one of the more favorable playoff route for the Atlanta Hawks. If the Hawks manage to get past the Wizards, they would much rather face the Celtics than the Cavaliers. Avoiding the Cavaliers until the Eastern Conference Finals is a priority for most playoff teams.

Next: The Future Is Bright For Prince

No matter who they play or when they play them, the Atlanta Hawks are going to be underdogs. However, if this season has taught us anything, it’s that you really can’t predict which Hawks team is going to show up on any given night.

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