It’s the sixth straight year that the Atlanta Hawks are heading into the NBA Playoffs, and after five unsuccessful attempts, fans are hoping it could turn into something this year. The Hawks finished the regular season with a 44-38 record, landing comfortably behind Miami in the Southeast Division, and securing the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference, which earned a first round playoff matchup against the third-seeded Indiana Pacers.
Following the trade of Joe Johnson and Marvin Williams last summer, many people doubted the Hawks could even come close to making the playoffs again. But they proved doubters wrong—and convincingly. The Hawks clinched a spot on March 27 with a 107-88 win over the Toronto Raptors, and are looking to take home their first trophy since claiming an NBA title during the 1957-58 season.
The two teams split the regular season series, 2-2, with the Hawks claiming an 89-86 win on Nov. 7 and a 109-100 win on Dec. 29 before losing the latter two. They’ll have to travel to Indiana to kick off the playoffs, which will start on April 21 at the Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind., followed by a second game on April 24. The Hawks will then have the chance to host the Pacers on April 27 and 29 at Philips Arena in Atlanta, Ga. If necessary, the teams will return to Indianapolis for Game 5, Atlanta for Game 6, and close out the playoff round with Game 7 in Indianapolis. See the action live with a purchase of Hawks playoff tickets.
Al Horford is topping the statistical charts for the Hawks, averaging 17.4 points per game, as well as 10.2 rebounds per game. Josh Smith has also been holding down the offense with 17.5 points per game as well as 1.8 blocks per game, and Jeff Teague boasts a team high in assists with 7.2 per game and 1.5 steals per game. Keep an eye on 3-point sharpshooter Kyle Korver, who has notched at least one basket from outside the arc for 73 games straight, which is the fourth-longest streak in NBA history.
