Ahead of Wednesday night's game in Orlando, the Atlanta Hawks have the ninth most difficult remaining schedule in the NBA, per Tankathon. Depending on how they do in this crucial stretch, they could make a statement down the final stretch of the regular season.
Hawks have a golden opportunity to prove themselves
Atlanta can't afford to take their foot off the gas. Seriously, their upcoming schedule of games is one of the league's most difficult. After Wednesday's in-division battle, the gauntlet begins.
Well, not immediately. Following the game in Orlando, the Hawks will travel to Brooklyn to take on the struggling Nets. Then, a potential first-round preview will make its way to State Farm Arena. The third-seeded New York Knicks will be in town for an intense high-stakes matchup.
They won't get a break after that, either. Their next two games will be against the Cleveland Cavaliers, with one being on the road and another back at home. This is another potential playoff series preview, because if the season ended today, these two teams would face off in round one.
Their regular season finale in Miami comes not long after that, giving Atlanta a golden opportunity to close out their year on a high note against a tough division rival.
A stretch that suddenly has more implications than initially expected. The Hawks are looking for every opportunity to prove themselves as contenders, and these next two weeks could give fans the definitive answer they've been searching for.
Well, if they haven't yet, the Hawks will certainly be put to the test now
The late-season turnaround of the Atlanta Hawks has been no secret. NBA fans just don't know when they're witnessing something special, huh? Teams can only focus on who they've got in front of them, and the Hawks taking care of business against inferior opponents shouldn't go overlooked.
Going from 27-31 to 43-33 is no small feat. Thanks to their timely organization-wide buy-in, they've adopted a brand new identity that's propelled them well into the Eastern Conference playoff picture.
Now at the fifth spot in the conference standings, momentum couldn't be more in their favor. They're firmly in control of their own destiny. However, it's not going to be as easy as it has been from here on out.
Any NBA team can beat any NBA team on any given night. Even if a ball club has an obvious advantage over another, this league can be incredibly unpredictable. In previous Hawks eras, they likely would've slipped up every few games and not done what they're doing now. Now, they have to prove they can take down top-tier foes as well.