The Atlanta Hawks went 41-41 last season amid upheaval in the front office and a change at head coach, making it to the postseason for the third consecutive season. They were also dispatched in the first round for the second year in a row.
With NBA set to release the full 82-game schedules for every team at 3 p.m. E.T. on August 16, expectations for the team have changed with the release of the 2023-24 schedule imminent
Now three years removed from their improbable run to the Eastern Conference Finals, expectations of where they should finish in the regular season standings to how far they can go once they reach the playoffs are still high. But the Hawks were once surprises of the East but have fallen short of expectations the last two years.
As is the case every year, timing is everything with the regular season schedule.
Atlanta Hawks NBA regular-season schedule:
We know the Hawks are not part of the NBA’s Christmas Day slate of games which was already leaked by various outlets. The Hawks have played on Christmas just once since 1989, losing 101-87 to the New York Knicks during the 2021-22 season.
They will also not be a part of the NBA’s opening night festivities and will face a few challenging stretches, as they do every season.
There were some games that we knew early due to their In-Season Tournament schedule and the team announcing their “business trip” to Mexico City. But here is the schedule in its entirety for the 2023-24 season:
NOTE: Games with a (*) indicate In-Season Tournament games, the results of which will determine the two “TBD” games on the schedule.
All games listed in Eastern Standard Time
- October 25 at Charlotte Hornets (7 PM) - L
- October 27 vs New York Knicks (7:30 PM) - L
- October 29 at Milwaukee Bucks (7 PM) - W
- October 30 vs Minnesota Timberwolves (7:30 PM) - W
- November 1 vs Washington Wizards (7:30 PM) - W
- November 4 at New Orleans Pelicans (7 PM) - W
- November 6 at Oklahoma City Thunder (8 PM) - L
- November 9 at Orlando Magic (9:30 PM, NBA TV) - W
- November 11 vs Miami Heat (7:30 PM) - L
- November 14 at Detroit Pistons* (7 PM) - W
- November 15 vs New York Knicks (7:30 PM) - L
- November 17 vs Philadelphia 76ers* (7:30 PM) - L
- November 21 vs Indiana Pacers* (7:30 PM) - L
- November 22 vs Brooklyn Nets (7:30 PM) - W
- November 25 at Washington Wizards (7 PM) - W
- November 26 at Boston Celtics (6:00 PM) - L
- November 28 at Cleveland Cavaliers* (7:30 PM) - L
- November 30 at San Antonio Spurs (8 PM) - W
- December 2 at Milwaukee Bucks (8 PM) - L
- December 6 vs Brooklyn Nets - L
- December 8 @ Philadelphia 76ers - L
- December 11 vs Denver Nuggets (7:30 PM) - L
- December 13 at Toronto Raptors (7:30 PM) - L
- December 15 at Toronto Raptors (7:30 PM) - W
- December 16 at Cleveland Cavaliers (7:30 PM, NBA TV) - L
- December 18 vs Detroit Pistons (7:30 PM) - W
- December 20 at Houston Rockets (8 PM) - W
- December 22 at Miami Heat (8 PM) - L
- December 23 vs Memphis Grizzlies (7:30 PM) - L
- December 26 at Chicago Bulls (8 PM) - L
- December 29 vs Sacramento Kings (7:30 PM) - L
- December 31 at Washington Wizards (3 PM) - W
- January 3 vs Oklahoma City (7:30 PM) - W
- January 5 at Indiana Pacers (7 PM) - L
- January 7 at Orlando Magic (6 PM) - L
- January 10 vs Philadelphia 76ers (7:30 PM, ESPN) - W
- January 12 vs Indiana Pacers (7:30 PM) - L
- January 13 vs Washington Wizards (7:30 PM) - L
- January 15 vs San Antonio Spurs (3:30, TNT) - W
- January 17 vs Orlando Magic (7:30 PM) - W
- January 19 at Miami Heat (8 PM) - W
- January 20 vs Cleveland Cavaliers (7:30 PM) - L
- January 22 at Sacramento Kings (10 PM, NBA TV) - L
- January 24 at Golden State Warriors (10 PM) - L
- January 26 vs Dallas Mavericks (7 PM, NBA TV) - L
- January 28 vs Toronto Raptors (6 PM) - W
- January 30 vs Los Angeles Lakers (7:30 PM) - W
- February 2 vs Phoenix Suns (7:30 PM) - W
- February 3 vs Golden State Warriors (7:30 PM) - W
- February 5 vs Los Angeles Clippers (7:30 PM) - L
- February 7 at Boston Celtics (7:30 PM, ESPN) - L
- February 9 at Philadelphia 76ers (7 PM, NBA TV) - W
- February 10 vs Houston Rockets (7:30 PM) - W
- February 12 vs Chicago Bulls (7:30 PM) - L
- February 14 at Charlotte Hornets (7 PM) - L
- February 23 vs Toronto Raptors (7:30 PM) - L
- February 25 vs Orlando Magic (7 PM) - W
- February 27 vs Utah Jazz (7:30 PM) - W
- February 29 at Brooklyn Nets (7:30 PM) - L
- March 2 at Brooklyn Nets (3 PM) - L
- March 5 at New York Knicks (7:30 PM) - W
- March 6 vs Cleveland (7:30 PM) - W
- March 8 at Memphis Grizzlies (7:30 PM) -W
- March 10 vs New Orleans Pelicans (6 PM) - L
- March 13 at Portland Trail Blazers (10 PM) -L
- March 15 at Utah Jazz (9:30 PM) -L
- March 17 at Los Angeles Clippers (9:30 PM) - W
- March 18 at Los Angeles Lakers (10:30 PM) - L
- March 21 at Phoenix Suns (10:30 PM, NBA TV) - L
- March 23 vs Charlotte Hornets (7:30 PM) - W
- March 25 vs Boston Celtics (7:30 PM, NBA TV) - W
- March 27 vs Portland Trail Blazers (7:30 PM) - W
- March 28 vs Boston Celtics (7:30 PM) - W
- March 30 vs Milwaukee Bucks (7:30 PM, NBA TV) -L
- April 1 at Chicago Bulls (7 PM) - W
- April 3 vs Detroit Pistons (7:30 PM) -W
- April 4 at Dallas Mavericks (7:30 PM) - L
- April 6 at Denver Nuggets (7 PM) - L
- April 9 vs Miami Heat (7:30 PM) - L
- April 10 vs Charlotte Hornets (7:30 PM) - L
- April 12 at Minnesota Timberwolves (7 PM) - L
- April 14 at Indiana Pacers (1 PM) - L
National TV games
— Mike Prada. (PRAY-duh) (@MikePradaNBA) August 17, 2023
28: Warriors
27: Lakers
25: Celtics
25: Suns
21: Nuggets
20: Knicks
19: Bucks Mavs
18: 76ers
16: Heat
13: Grizz
12: Clips
11: Kings Spurs
9: Cavs
8: OKC
6: Pels
5: Hawks Nets Wolves
4: Bulls
2: Jazz
1: Hornets Pistons Rockets Pacers Magic Blazers Raps Wiz
Some notable games include December 11 when the Hawks will host the reigning champion Denver Nuggets, and January 15 when they will host the Spurs and No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, Victor Wembanyama, and February 27 when John Collins will return to State Farm Arena with the Jazz.
They will see the Boston Celtics, who knocked them out of the playoffs, for the first time in a road date on November 26 and host LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers on January 30.
Long-rumored trade target Pascal Siakam will visit along with the Raptors on January 28.
The Hawks will be on the road a lot to start the season with 11 of their first 19 games on the road and potential success in the new In-Season Tournament could lead to an even longer trip away from State Farm Arena.
They will start and begin the season on the road with their longest stretch being five games (pending the In-Season Tournament results) which they will have to endure twice.
The second of those stints (March 13 through March 21) could have serious playoff implications.
Atlanta’s longest homestand is six games from January 26 through February 5. They will face nine straight Eastern Conference opponents from November 9 through November 28 thanks in part to the In-Season Tournament, and will see seven consecutive Western Conference foes from March 8 through March 21.
Atlanta Hawks NBA In-Season Tournament Schedule:
The NBA is implementing a new In-Season Tournament to drum up additional interest during the doldrums of the regular season that can happen before the All-Star break. These are not additional games, but rather an intentional bit of scheduling by the league to pit teams against one another according to their group.
Atlanta is in group East A and will face off against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, Indiana Pacers, and Philadelphia 76ers.
Here is the Hawks’ full In-Season Tournament schedule:
- November 14 @ Detroit Pistons - W
- November 17 vs Philadelphia 76ers - L
- November 21 vs Indiana Pacers - L
- November 28 @ Cleveland Cavaliers
By design, the Hawks will see two likely playoff teams in the 76ers and Cavaliers, who were the third and fourth seeds, respectively, last season. They also face the upstart Pacers helmed by Tyrese Haliburton and the Detroit Pistons who have Cade Cunningham back from injury.
Hawks preseason schedule:
The Hawks announced their full preseason schedule on August 10 with a five-game slate that features a “home game” against the New Orleans Pelicans at Gateway Center Arena in College Park, the home of Atlanta’s G League affiliate, the Skyhawks. They will also face off against the Cavs, Pacers, Sixers, and Memphis Grizzlies.
Here is the Hawks’ full preseason schedule:
October 10 vs Cleveland Cavaliers
October 12 vs Memphis Grizzlies
October 14 vs New Orleans Pelicans (@ College Park, GA)
October 16 @ Indiana Pacers
October 20 @ Philadelphia 76ers
The Hawks should get quite the warmup before starting the regular season and should have a bit of a feel for their In-Season Tournament opponents thanks to this slate of games.