The Atlanta Hawks are riding a seven-game win streak after Tuesday's win over the Mavericks, and still sit No. 9 in the East, one game back from Philly. The Sixers pulled out a narrow win over the Grizzlies a few hours after the team announced that Tyrese Maxey would be re-evaluated in three weeks due to a finger tendon injury.
The unfortunate news keeps coming for the Sixers — Joel Embiid is out with an oblique strain (he hasn't played since Feb. 26), Paul George can't play again until the end of this month due to his 25-game suspension, and now this with Maxey. The timing couldn't be worse with Philadelphia trying to make a postseason push that may be no more.
Atlanta has been on a roll, so it had a chance to surpass Philadelphia in the standings even if Maxey hadn't gotten hurt, but now, the Hawks' chances of finishing as either the No. 7 or No. 8 seed (and maybe even sneaking into the top six) have gone up.
Hawks are on a roll as Sixers' misfortune continues
Philadelphia doesn't have a clear incentive to wave the white flag, as it owes its first-round pick to Oklahoma City, but it's top-four protected. The Sixers could get lucky again and end up with a top pick for the second consecutive year, but the draft lottery exists, making that far from a guarantee.
Atlanta doesn't have to worry about its draft positioning, as there is a world where it can make the playoffs and still have a top pick in June, thanks to New Orleans. The Pelicans have the sixth-worst record in the league, a misfortune they won't even benefit from.
Luck has been on the Hawks' side, dating back to last year's draft. The world didn't stop moving (it actually got better) when they traded Trae Young, officially paving the way for Jalen Johnson to take over. They even managed to turn Kristaps Porziņġis into Jonathan Kuminga, who has missed the past three games due to his lingering knee injury. It doesn't seem to be a major concern, and he's looked good in the games he's played.
Before the season started, Atlanta wasn't supposed to be in the play-in, and it may not end the season there if it climbs up into the No. 5 or No. 6 spot. Getting to the play-in, especially as the No. 7 or No. 8 seed (meaning it'd need to win one game instead of two to advance to the playoffs), wouldn't be too shabby for a team that traded away its star player midseason.
Don't overlook the Hawks.