According to Trae Young, the Atlanta Hawks “needed” to beat the Milwaukee Bucks, especially after dropping their previous two games.
“This was a must-win game for us. We know we dropped the last couple, and we knew what we needed to do coming in here,” Young told FanDuel Sports Network’s Tabitha Turner-Wilkins on March 30. “Hopefully, it sets the tone for these last nine games – and now eight – and we gotta finish strong, and prepare for the postseason. It’s a different battle, but you starting out.”
The Hawks can use those games more as a tune-up rather than a battleground.
They secured a spot in the postseason field with their victory over the Bucks, meaning they will be no worse than the No. 10 seed.
The Hawks entered the season amid heavy skepticism they would be able to maintain their place in the Eastern Conference, let alone still have a chance to earn a playoff spot outright. Much to their credit, here they are.
Hawks star Trae Young embraced the challenge from the outset.
Hawks set out to prove doubters wrong
“A lot of people look at our roster and don't have a lot of high expectations,” Young said on the “Million Dollars Worth of Game” podcast episode that aired in September 2024. “That's sometimes good for a player like me who's been built on beating expectations his whole life. So
I'm just ready to play and beat expectations and whatever that ends up being, I'm going to be ready for it and excited for it.”
Young has his sights set on more. He is not alone, with veteran Larry Nance Jr. speaking with a similar tone and noting how eager the Hawks were to make the playoffs despite expectations.
“If you look at the East, we got a number amount of teams that aren't looking to make the playoffs or care more about their draft stock than wins, and we're not one of those teams,” Nance told the panel of “The Hoop Collective” podcast in September 2024. “Hopefully, if we do what we're supposed to do, we'll snag an 8-seed, snag a 7-seed, surprise some people.”
Entering play on March 31, the Hawks are indeed holding the No. 7 seed. There is still plenty of work to do, and they will face the Orlando Magic twice. Securing their position would mean the Hawks get to host a game between the two in the Play-In Tournament.
Still, the Hawks can check one of their preseason goals off the list despite a trying season.