Atlanta Hawks: Playoff update with three games to go

Prior to the Washington Wizards game, the Atlanta Hawks could finish as high as fourth or as low as eighth in the tight Eastern Conference playoff race. Thanks to the one-point victory over the Wizards, the Hawks can still finish as high as fourth, but can only finish as low as seventh.

The Charlotte Hornets, thanks to their two-point loss against the New Orleans Pelicans the day prior were mathematically still a chance to pass the Hawks mathematically until Trae Young’s 36 points, nine assists, and six rebounds led the Hawks past the Wizards.

Bogdan Bogdanovic was at his shooting best again, going 5-of-12 from deep on his way to 28 points. John Collins was a beast, collecting 28 points and eight rebounds to go along with two blocks. He was unstoppable going 10-of-14 from the field. Clint Capela was huge on the glass with 22 rebounds.

The Atlanta Hawks will be watching two games with interest

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With so little of the season to go, there are not many games each day that can impact the fortunes of the Hawks’ playoff aspirations. One of these is the second of the baseball series between the Miami Heat and the Boston Celtics.

Due to the Heat winning the first game, they are only half a game behind the Hawks. However, the Hawks hold the tiebreaker so they only have to win two more games on the season to guarantee that they stay above the current sixth seed.

The only other team under the Hawks who can pass them are the Celtics. However, if the seventh seed loses one more game, they cannot pass the Hawks in the standings. Also, if the Hawks win one more game the Celtics cannot pass them.

The New York Knicks are still sitting in fourth place, just half a game ahead of the Hawks. They face a very motivated Los Angeles Lakers team who are trying to elevate themselves out of the Western Conference play-in tournament. If the Knicks lose they will be ahead of the Hawks only due to the tiebreaker.