The Atlanta Hawks have given themselves the best chance of qualifying for the playoffs with four games remaining by beating the Kevin Durant-led Brooklyn Nets. The superstar led the Nets with 55 points but was only really supported by his star teammate Kyrie Irving who had 31 points. So two players had 86 of the Nets’ 115 points which is not going to win a title.
Trae Young was exemplary, almost collecting a triple-double, falling only four rebounds short. He had 36 points, 10 assists, and six rebounds but it was the way he took over at the end of the game which has reignited the All-NBA discussion. He was the difference at the end between the two teams.
The Hawks have their future in their own hands now that they have taken the eighth seed in a day of results that have certainly helped the franchise. The Philadelphia 76ers spoiled the return of Gordon Hayward to the Charlotte Hornets lineup by giving them a basketball lesson. This meant the Hawks were able to move above them prior to the Nets game.
The Atlanta Hawks have a full game advantage over their rivals.
The Hawks started the day in the tenth seed and the victory against the Nets meant that they moved all the way into the eighth seed. They are now a full game clear of both of these two teams and with the easiest schedule remaining of the four play-in teams, they are a chance of getting the best seed possible.
They are still mathematically able to qualify directly for the playoffs but that window is closing. They are four games behind the Chicago Bulls with four games remaining. The Bulls won the season series but there is still the remote possibility of an obscure tiebreaker letting the Hawks get above them if they can win all their final games.
With that being said, it is best to assume that the Hawks’ best possible finish is the seventh seed and will therefore get at least two more games of their season to qualify for the playoffs. They are two games behind the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Hawks hold the advantage of winning the season series.