As the sun rises on Thursday in Atlanta, Georgia, all of the Hawks will share the same thought as they rise from their beds: keeping their roller coaster of a season alive. It’s been a fun ride up until this point, but now the fun games are over as there's no room for error. As they look to avoid elimination, the NBA’s third-youngest team must lean on its new veteran once again.
Making way for CJ McCollum
CJ McCullom has averaged 20.8 points, three rebounds, and 2.4 assists in five playoff games, leading the Hawks to victory twice. It was expected that the Knicks would adjust, and they did exactly that, leaving him with just six points to his name in Game 5.
Fans were quick to ridicule McCullom even after praising his name a couple of nights prior to their embarrassing 126-97 loss in Madison Square Garden. Although he was the center of negative attention with the likes of Tina Fey and Timothée Chalamet courtside, Hawks’ All-Star forward Jalen Johnson struggled with the physicality from New York’s wings.
It’s evident that he’s been swallowed by the moment in the last couple of games, and if the team leader is struggling, fans shouldn’t expect much else from McCullom. The 13-year veteran has played his part rather nicely, especially given the fact that he was acquired in the middle of the season.
He’s certainly proven to have good qualities, and the only way to dispel the negative recency bias is to lace up his signature Li-Nings sneakers with revenge on his mind.
Surviving elimination at home
Fans will pack the State Farm Arena for what could be their last taste of Hawks’ basketball until the 2026 NBA Preseason, and the first thing they will see is CJ McCollum’s aggressive approach. His 10 shot attempts in Game 5 were the fewest shots he’s taken all series, and he’s always been consistent, averaging 22 points per game across 14 career elimination games.
Although he’s 4-10 in those 14 games, most of the losses were because of a poor supporting cast. The 2025-26 Hawks roster is certainly one of his better ensembles, and the young entourage will follow the 34-year-old’s lead in the biggest game of the season, literally.
Even with their backs against the wall, the Hawks will benefit from this experience in the future. They are getting as much playoff experience as possible, and now they will feel the pressure of defending home court during an elimination game against a rival contender.
A rival contender that will be atop the Eastern Conference standings for at least the next three seasons, so the Hawks have no choice but to embrace the pressures of Game 6 with no fear.
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