The Atlanta Hawks are still fighting with faint hopes of making the playoffs outright. If not, they have already guaranteed themselves a seat at the postseason table with a berth in the Play-In Tournament.
They are battling even more with the Orlando Magic for control of the No. 7 seed and, most likely, a home game between the two clubs in the Play-In.
The Hawks got a boost from a familiar face on Monday.
Former Hawks star Bogdan Bogdanovic and the Los Angeles Clippers beat the Magic 96-87, giving the Hawks a full 1.0-game lead for the seven seed. The Hawks will face the Magic on April 8 in the first of two games that could be less meaningful if Atlanta can build on its lead.
The two teams will also meet in the final game of the regular season, a game that the Hawks will host.
Both the Hawks and Magic will enter the contest 6-4 over their last 10 games.
They have also split the regular season series, with the most recent meeting, a 114-108 tilt in the supposed friendly confines of State Farm Arena. That could be an ominous sign ahead of the next matchup and, again, that potential meeting in the Play-In Tournament.
Bogdanovic finished the night with 5 points, on a cold shooting display of 16.7% overall and 1-for-5 from beyond the arc. He got the much-needed win, though.
Hawks control destiny as postseason approaches
The Hawks did well to right the ship with a win over the Milwaukee Bucks, snapping a two-game skid.
They will get back on the court on Tuesday against the Portland Trail Blazers.
Potland is on a four-game losing streak, but they are a feisty, athletic group that beat the Hawks 114-110 earlier in the season. The Hawks are also 9-18 against the Western Conference this season.
That is ominous for the Hawks with three of their next four games coming against the West, though only the Dallas Mavericks are jockeying for postseason positioning.
The Hawks need some help to reach the playoffs as the No. 6 seed.
They control their destiny as the No. 7, and that should be motivation enough to lock in just as they did against the short-handed Bucks. In many ways, these Hawks are playing with houst money anyway.
They have overcome the losses of Jalen Johnson, Kobe Bufkin, Clint Capela, and Larry Nance Jr., all of whom were or projected to be key parts of the rotation.
Reaching the postseason is an accomplishment in and of itself.
These Hawks are not surprised by the outcome, nor are they satisfied, though. They called their shot before the campaign began, and they have put themselves in the driver’s seat to close the string out.