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Bruh the Hawks really won a game that was an attempt at throwing a game lmfao. And it was with the Cavs actually trying and LeBron almost playing the ENTIRE second half. My goodness!

The official starting lineup is Calderon/Hardaway Jr/Prince/Ilyasova/Humphries I think. I think I'd rest if I were you. ^^ But it depends...

Hmmmm, Bud may be doing what I had in mind. This is a back to back against the best team in the east, you won't have your best player, it might be best to tank this game totally and take your chances Sunday. At the very least, if they do play and it's not looking great, don't press it but doubtful would have me assume that we're going to see a "you can have this game, Cleveland" lineup.

OP meant an EAST team. Not just anybody.

Sorry, but sometimes I notice those things after I look back, not during the game.

I'm not clamoring for Horford, I'm just saying that Howard was not in during most of that major run, and Dennis also wasn't. I can't wait for Boston to be a high seed that is upset in the playoffs. That team has fraud all over it.

Even better, HORFORD was on Prince on two of the early baskets LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL.

Wow I knew Marcus Smart was making threes but 5 of 9? And it is in the scouting report for the Hawks to let guys like him shoot, yikes. All of the good Celtics players are too small. They might win a series but if they actually did get #1 (they won't) they probably would have been even weaker than the 2015 Hawks. Great games by Taurean/Tim. I think the first half qualifies as a "moment" for Taurean. Wonder if a certain someone (cough, Isaiah) was on him early.

It should be noted that two certain someones weren't in during the run the Hawks made.

His shot is fine lol. He had a solid-good percentage in college.

One was going to be traded no matter what happened. Sorry but Delaney was going to be your backup PG regardless.

This team would be just as mediocre with your boy Teague and I guess you'd go to blaming the coach then...

This hot take is the worst. You can't evaluate someone that hasn't played much. I don't see star potential in Prince but like I've said already for the second time, the opinion on him here by the naysaysers will shift by midway through next season.

I made a prediction elsewhere but I might have to change it. 75-78 wins was what I predicted BTW.

Thing is Taurean's age. I don't think he's going to be a superstar caliber wing but the opinion on him is going to change IMO, just like with Dennis after his rookie year sometime next season.

Taurean's fine lol. He's not going to be Butler or Kawhi but he's fine lol. Most of what I see offensively is a need to gain some strength and a bad whistle that is typical with rookies.

The evening out continues. This team won several games it shouldn't have this season and is paying for it now. It may make the playoffs but only because outside of the top 4, the east is really, really bad this year. Gotta go back to the drawing board. Don't take a shot at the moon with getting a star caliber player (Dwight Howard). A strong GM is needed and every older player on this team needs to be gone this summer.

2014 Braves all over again but may back into the playoffs.

We're seeing why I've said Bazemore back in the lineup playing with Howard doesn't matter. Millsap+Howard together this year (measured without other factors) is -.01.

I think the Hawks lose a 3 way tiebreaker in the scenario detailed above unless the one win is Indiana (I then am not sure) and it puts them 9th. The Cavs being in a funk is really the worst case scenario for the Hawks down the stretch, it means that one of my two ugly bad scenarios is pretty likely to happen. I would rather drop out of the playoffs than see Cleveland or Washington early, and I'm being for real. The ugliness of those potential series would not be worth it. That said, while the previous two games before the last one were ugly, if Millsap comes back and the team plays like yesterday, Milwaukee, and Washington we're not seeing a beat Brooklyn then lose out scenario unless we continue seeing a course correction (regressing to your overall +/-) happen, because games like yesterday and especially Milwaukee were wins early in the year. They will find a way to come alive from the dead again, and have a date with Washington in the first round somehow, ugh...

Taurean is going to be fine. He was an overdraft, but I can definitely see him being a legit NBA two way player, most of what he needs to do is just refine what he can do offensively and gain strength.

And that's my most likely case now. I think the Hawks will win at least one game between Boston/Indiana, maybe both, along with Toronto. I think the max now is likely 43-39...that will probably equal #6, and a date with Washington.

Playing Washington in the first round is my worst case scenario, yes, even over Cleveland. They will have revenge on their minds for a series in which they felt they should have won, and they have guys that can lock down the Hawks best perimeter players (I'm not talking about the frontcourt) without being helped. It could get even uglier than Washington-Toronto from that spring, and I guess the solace from it is Toronto came back motivated due to it.

Better lately after a bad start without Millsap the second time, but the guards (and I don't mean Kent Bazemore) have not shown they can close a game without a good veteran alongside them. They can play a spirited game, play it close, they won't finish a game for you. Washington, Milwaukee, and Chicago on what I got from it was this (and the clunker for Dennis was the first one, he was fine in the second two). The Indiana game, in typical Atlanta sports fashion, might be winner take all with a playoff spot. If the Cavs go full strength, I 100% expect to lose both and the Celtics game is a toss up at best.

Momentum doesn't really matter in the NBA, it sucks but is true. Like I said a couple months ago, the NBA is the one American sport in which just "getting hot" will not work for you. In the NFL, MLB, and college basketball, it WILL work but its a matter of finishing. I thought the Falcons were a good team and had a team that was close to as good as 2012 but not quite, but I did not expect them to cruise to the freaking Super Bowl. They were New York Giants 2007 and 2011 caliber on fire after the Kansas City game. And you also have the Royals run in 2014 after being a good not great team in the regular season. Same with South Carolina THIS year in college basketball, although it just ended. They were good, not great and they were slipping at the end of the regular season. They get out of the SEC, are allowed to play their physical brand of defense without fouling, and they make it to the final four.