The Atlanta Hawks are absolutely rolling.
Prior to the loss to Houston, Atlanta had won eleven straight games in supremely impressive fashion: ten double-digit victories (the lone single-digit being a 9-point win against a stingy Sixers squad) are a telltale sign that the Hawks’ newfound success isn't to be scoffed at.
That being said, Atlanta faces an intimidating wall yet to be hurdled; the final 13-game stretch is exponentially more difficult than the last eleven opponents the Hawks have crushed.
Atlanta's 11-game win streak, while certainly a welcome sight for Hawks fans yearning for an escape from the play-in, has been earned nearly entirely against non-playoff opponents. In fact, all eleven teams, save for the playoff-teetering Orlando Magic, currently sit outside of even the play-in tournament.
The next thirteen games offer a stark contrast to the cakewalk of sorts that Atlanta has enjoyed over the last few weeks, and will likely make or break the Hawks’ hopes at finishing top-6 in the East.
The Hawks will take on the Cleveland Cavaliers twice, Boston Celtics twice, and the Magic, Heat, Knicks, and Pistons once each. That's every single opposing top-8 Eastern team that isn't the Raptors (whom Atlanta was embarrassed by multiple times earlier this year).
The East Play-In Tournament race will come down to the wire
Atlanta is closing the gap on the 5-seeded Toronto Raptors ever so slowly. The North has cooled off substantially since earlier this season, when they shot out to an early 1-seed. Unfortunately, there's much more room downwards than upwards.
Currently, Atlanta sits at 38-31, a mere half-game above the 76ers and Heat, and 0 games (tiebreaker) above the Orlando Magic. Additionally, the red-hot Charlotte Hornets are only 2.5 games back, and aren't going away anytime soon.
If the Hawks are to have any shot whatsoever at retaining their current 6-seed standing, they'll need to carry over their hot streak against lottery-level teams against the creme de la creme of the East.Â
Look for Quin Snyder to keep using his lethal 5-man lineup in extremely high volume. The combination of Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Dyson Daniels, CJ McCollum, Jalen Johnson, and Onyeka Okongwu has unquestionably been the driving force behind the recent stretch of victories for Atlanta.
If this squad can battle against the best in .500 fashion (or better), it represents not only a breath of fresh air for the Hawks to potentially escape the play-in for the first time in ages, but also a shot of confidence for Atlanta - beating contenders right before the NBA Playoffs is just the right recipe for longshot teams like the Hawks to stir up some magic in April.