First shot-clock-era NBA team to LOSE their initial playoff round after finishing the regular season in first place?

The Hawks! St. Louis, that is.

In 1959, the defending NBA champions were still smelling themselves a bit when the Minneapolis Lakers, led by fresh-faced rookie Elgin Baylor, came to town. Even in an eight-team league, the Lakers looked to be out of it in February with a 19-31 record, before going on a 14-8 run to finish in second-place of the West Division. The Lakers carried that momentum into the initial round (then called the Division Semifinals) where they beat the Pistons 2-1 before facing the Hawks, who enjoyed an opening-round bye after leading the West with a 49-23 record.

Seven-game series were 1-1-1-1-1-1-1 at the time, and the home teams held serve until Game 5, when Baylor’s Lakers toppled the Hawks 98-97 at Kiel Auditorium, setting up the coup de grace in Game 6 back in Minnesota. The Hawks could not overcome the loss of ex-Laker point guard Slater Martin, the league’s oldest, shortest and most championship-seasoned player, who broke his fibula after drawing a flagrant foul in Game 1. Thanks to a star turn by Baylor, Minneapolis earned their final trip to the NBA Finals, where the Lakers would meet the Celtics on the first of many occasions.

First NBA team to win over 55 games and LOSE their initial playoff round?

The Hawks! Still St. Louis. For the moment, anyway.

1968 was the swan song for the Hawks in Missouri, as they were making their final title trek before packing up and flying South for forever. Playoff series had the saner 2-2-1-1-1 style by then, but as Kevin Hart would say, “You see, the way my playoffs were set up…” Top-seeds like the Hawks played third-seeds, while #2-seeds drew #4-seeds. That would change to 1-versus-4 and 2-versus-3 two seasons later.

The 1967-68 Hawks were 56-26 and on top of the six-team Western Division. This time, the “Arch enemies” they drew were the San Francisco Warriors, who did the reverse of the ’59 Lakers. They started out 37-23 before going full possum by losing 16 of their final 22 games.

Despite losing to this same team in the Western finals the prior year, the Hawks underestimated the Warriors, and were done in once again by Jeff Mullins, a Hawks draftee who became a three-time All-Star after St. Louis cut him loose years before in an expansion draft. The Warriors put the defensive screws to Jumpin’ Joe Caldwell, the Hawks’ third-leading scorer reduced to 5.3 PPG over six games, and they never looked back after stealing Game 1 in St. Louis. Perhaps the Warriors saved the Hawks from a pasting in the next round, by a now-33-year-old Baylor and the now-L.A. Lakers.

If all goes well in 2015 for the #1 seeds, the Hawks will finally get a chance to avenge that 1968 series defeat and the hands of the Warriors. But first things first: they have to get out of the first round. And nobody would gain greater schadenfreude out of bumping the Hawks out of the first round than Joe Johnson.

Joe and the Brooklyn Nets have got work cut out for them, though. They’re in the 7-seed spot but must continue winning just enough to squeak into the postseason. Despite getting pasted by the Atlanta Hawks just days ago, a payback win at Barclays Center tonight (7:30 PM Eastern, SportSouth, YES Network) would go a long way toward locking a playoff spot down, and perhaps adding a little trepidation that this is not a team the Hawks will want to see again.

As of just two weeks ago, Brooklyn amassed as many home victories (12-20) as the Magic and the Sixers. That was before five straight wins on the herringbone floor, knocking off the Cavs, Lakers, Pacers, Raptors, and a Trail Blazer team that rested three frontcourt starters. Now, with Mikhail Prokhorov watching his investment live for the first time since November, the Nets (36-41) have a single-minded goal: try not to become the most expensive lottery team in NBA history. Until now, Prokhy couldn’t bear to watch, either.

Last night, the elimination-destined Phoenix Suns spent more time trying to get under people’s skin than trying to put a ball into a hoop. The Hawks shot just 4-for-25 from downtown, turned over the rock about a dozen times in the first quarter, drew a bunch of technicals… and still turnt out the Suns 96-69. Key to the victory was a spectacular team defensive rebounding display, a season-high 46 D-Rebs, led by Kent Bazemore’s eight, and Mike Muscala and Mike Scott’s six apiece.

Mere hours later, Thabo Sefolosha and Pero Antić spent last night tripping the light fantastic in Gotham, eventually finding out what happens When Keeping It Real Goes Wrong. In their place, Kent Bazemore will get yet another boost in floor time, as will Muscala at the 5-spot, while Elton Brand will have to do what Dookies do, and cut down the Nets. Austin will have his Daye on court as well. John Jenkins perhaps had a foreboding sense of dread, and stayed back in Atlanta to deal with an illness.

The Hawks’ recent misfortunes sound good to Johnson (1-for-10 FGs vs. POR on Monday), and to Brook Lopez. Joe doesn’t intend to be held to 1-for-5 shooting (four points and three assists in 20 minutes) as he did during the 131-99 blowout in Atlanta last Saturday, and B-Lo (32 points on 15-for-25 FGs vs. the Blazers) doesn’t plan on settling for 11 points and six boards.

But both veteran leaders, along with Deron Williams (10-and-5 @ATL; 24-and-11 vs. POR), have to represent themselves defensively first and foremost, or coach Lionel Hollins will give them all another quick hook. Bojan Bogdanovic, Jarrett Jack, and Thaddeus Young (20-for-33 shooting, in a losing cause @ATL last Saturday) can dominate the offensive end of the floor as easily as the Nets’ Medium Three can. What Hollins wants to see are stops, and if Brooklyn’s relying on Markel Brown to provide them at critical junctures, they’re in trouble.

Atlanta had little problem getting the passes and shots they wanted against Brooklyn on Saturday, ringing up 40 assists and sinking almost 60 percent of their shots while turning over the ball just 12 times. That was without Paul Millsap (shoulder) for most of the game, and without any contributions from Dennis Schröder (toe). Even without that duo, the Hawks scored 50 points-in-the-paint versus Brooklyn, consistent with the 52 they hung on the dysfunctional Suns last night with Dennis back in the fold. The Nets have been ceding 23.3 buckets per game in the paint (5^th most in NBA) since March 1.

Al Horford and Muscala should continue attacking Lopez and Young inside, forcing either fouls or help from Net teammates that can open up the perimeter. With another dominant display from Jeff Teague (8-for-12 FGs, 17 points and 8 assists in 23 minutes) and Schröder, and some bounceback shooting from Kyle Korver, Coach Bud’s pregame speech can be a lot like the guy bellowing at Chris Copeland on the sidewalk: “Y’all gon’ be a’ight, man.”

Let’s Go Hawks!

~lw3