Four games this week and they could be HUGE...

[REHawksFan]

Hawks enter play tonight 31-26 with a 0.5 game lead in 4th place in the East over Boston and NYK who are each 31-27.  They are 4 games back of the Bucks who are in 3rd place at 35-22. They are also 1.5 games up on the Heat who are 30-28 in 7th place.  They are also 2.5 games up on Charlotte who are 28-28 in 8th place. A win tonight against the Magic and the Hawks will have a 1 game lead over Boston as they are idle while NYK plays Charlotte.  Consider this:

Hawks schedule this week:  Magic (tonight), @ NYK (tomorrow), Miami (Friday), Bucks (Sunday)

Now also consider:  

Boston this week:  Phx (Thursday), @ BKN (Friday), @ Cha (Sunday) - they could easily go 0-3 but I'm thinking 1-2

NYK this week:  Cha (tonight), Hawks (tomorrow), Tor (Saturday) - this is 2-1 at worst

Miami this week:  @ SAS (tomorrow), @ Hawks (Fri), Chi (Saturday) - the way they are playing, 1-2 or 2-1 with a loss to Atlanta

Charlotte this week: @ NYK (tonight), @ Chi (Thursday), Clev (Friday), Bos (Sunday) - I think this is either 2-2 or 3-1 depending on the NYK game

Bucks this week:  Philly (Thursday), Philly (Saturday), @ Hawks (Sunday) - I think they are 0-2 coming to Atlanta

 

Given the above schedules, the Hawks COULD be in for a HUGE week IF they could go 4-0.  Do that and it is entirely possible that Boston goes 1-2, NYK go 2-1, Miami goes 2-1, Charlotte goes 2-2, and Milwaukee goes 0-3.  Then the standings would look like this:

3. Bucks 35-25

4. Hawks 35-26

5. NYK 33-28

6. Bos 32-29

7. Mia 32-29

8. Cha 30-30

 

Hawks would have a 2 game cushion with 11 games to play and be just 0.5 games back of Bucks for 3rd place.  So this really could be a HUGE week for the Hawks IF they can figure out how to get to Sunday 3-0.  

 

[RedDawg#8]

100% spot on. Solo already let on that they are looking at the standings too, trying to win as much as they can to climb and not being satisfied with #4.

These games matter double right now because of how tight it is, and the fact that everyone is starting to face each other down the stretch.

[Gray Mule]

Next game at New York.  They have our number. (Yankees 3--Braves 1)  Hawks have a 1/2 game lead on the Knickerbockers.  After tonight, we have a 1 1/2 game lead or we are 1/2 game behind.  We really need a huge game from Bruno!  He He!  Yep.  Hawks must not let our opponent run over us.

Hawks have fought the good fight.  Last night's game was a great win.  We didn't just show up, expecting to win, only to wake up this morning, licking our wounds from the defeat.  We're growing.  Maturing.  Becoming the team that we all hoped for when this season began.

Hawks signed for and traded for players to go for the playoffs this season.  So far, so good.  In spite of all the players on our injury list, we still prevail.  We still live in hopes of a more injury free roster.  If this does not happen, Hawks will still make life hard for any opponent.  Playoffs, here we come!

[MarylandHawk]

When you wrote this we still had Client and Trae. With them being out going 2 and 2 would be huge. Chances are slim tonight but not impossible. 

[REHawksFan]

44 minutes ago, MarylandHawk said:

When you wrote this we still had Client and Trae. With them being out going 2 and 2 would be huge. Chances are slim tonight but not impossible. 

Going for 3-1 tonight.  Would be absolutely huge. Haven't seen the game report, wonder if Bucks are sitting anyone?

[MarylandHawk]

8 hours ago, REHawksFan said:

Going for 3-1 tonight.  Would be absolutely huge. Haven't seen the game report, wonder if Bucks are sitting anyone?

You called it!  Against their best!  They don’t want that three seed. 

[cam1218]

Good week for us, hats of to the Knicks too. I’m cool with being a top 6 team at this point. 

[ATLHawks3]

2 hours ago, cam1218 said:

Good week for us, hats of to the Knicks too. I’m cool with being a top 6 team at this point. 

I don't want this team to settle for just "Top 6". We need to keep pushing for as high a seed as we can get.

[JayBirdHawk]

7 hours ago, ATLHawks3 said:

I don't want this team to settle for just "Top 6". We need to keep pushing for as high a seed as we can get.

Yup, settle for top 6 and end up at 7 - I'll pass.  Let's try and get to 3 but I'll settle for 4.

[cam1218]

I’m not suggesting they settle, and I know they won’t, just that I’d personally be happy with a top 6 finish and avoiding the play-in tournament. I’m not going to fret about what seed they get, just keep playing good basketball and the rest will take care of itself.

[Atlantaholic]

1 hour ago, cam1218 said:

I’m not suggesting they settle, and I know they won’t, just that I’d personally be happy with a top 6 finish and avoiding the play-in tournament. I’m not going to fret about what seed they get, just keep playing good basketball and the rest will take care of itself.

For sure, a top 6 finish is a win from a fans perspective. If we are at full strength  Milwaukee Atlanta series would be absolutely epic. 

[RedDawg#8]

At this point, it's looking very likely that a 4v5 matchup will involve Hawks and Knicks 

3 is Milwaukee.

Of all the games we have played would you rather face the Knicks as a 4 or 5 or drop to 6 and play the Bucks?

[JayBirdHawk]

Just now, RedDawg#8 said:

At this point, it's looking very likely that a 4v5 matchup will involve Hawks and Knicks 

3 is Milwaukee.

Of all the games we have played would you rather face the Knicks as a 4 or 5 or drop to 6 and play the Bucks?

Gimme the Knicks - they lack playoff experience.  I think Nate will solve this riddle.

[macdaddy]

15 minutes ago, JayBirdHawk said:

Gimme the Knicks - they lack playoff experience.  I think Nate will solve this riddle.

Agree.  Either way is fine with me.  Knicks are going to get all the calls but no way Randle rains threes on us the way he has.  

[JayBirdHawk]

1 minute ago, macdaddy said:

Agree.  Either way is fine with me.  Knicks are going to get all the calls but no way Randle rains threes on us the way he has.  

Randle is the only puzzle that we need to solve on the Knicks.  Bucks have Giannis, Middleton and Jrue. 

[RedDawg#8]

1 minute ago, macdaddy said:

Agree.  Either way is fine with me.  Knicks are going to get all the calls but no way Randle rains threes on us the way he has.  

I been saying this since the 1st matchup. Some dudes just love to play against certain teams. Randle circles the Hawks on his schedule.

I think over the course of a series we can figure them out, but I'd be interested to see the history of teams that face each other in the playoffs where one swept the other in the regular season.

 

[JayBirdHawk]

7 minutes ago, RedDawg#8 said:

I been saying this since the 1st matchup. Some dudes just love to play against certain teams. Randle circles the Hawks on his schedule.

I think over the course of a series we can figure them out, but I'd be interested to see the history of teams that face each other in the playoffs where one swept the other in the regular season.

 

off the top - I think Orlando swept us in the regular season and we took them out in the playoffs some years ago.

[RedDawg#8]

3 minutes ago, JayBirdHawk said:

Randle is the only puzzle that we need to solve on the Knicks.  Bucks have Giannis, Middleton and Jrue. 

That's it though, we write off their team the way teams write us off. "Oh just shut down Trae and you can beat them."  But they have a lot of strong athletic players that are relentless defensively and straight gamers on offense. Noel block shot at a higher rate than Capela, Bullock is a marksman from 3.  Rose is a skilled and crafty lead guard, and just when you figure all that out Quickley comes off the bench and starts hitting outrageously tough shots for them.

Knicks are a tough opponent this season. They are fearless and smell blood in the water. They are the 2021 version of the Heat right now.

 

[REHawksFan]

1 hour ago, RedDawg#8 said:

That's it though, we write off their team the way teams write us off. "Oh just shut down Trae and you can beat them."  But they have a lot of strong athletic players that are relentless defensively and straight gamers on offense. Noel block shot at a higher rate than Capela, Bullock is a marksman from 3.  Rose is a skilled and crafty lead guard, and just when you figure all that out Quickley comes off the bench and starts hitting outrageously tough shots for them.

Knicks are a tough opponent this season. They are fearless and smell blood in the water. They are the 2021 version of the Heat right now.

 

That's a little strong.  I'm not really buying the Knicks as a potential NBA finals or even EC finals team.  I agree they are the worst matchup for the Hawks out of the potential matchups, but that's just because we have no one that can check Randle consistently.  With that said, IF you tell me the Hawks are reasonably healthy (not even including Hunter or Dunn), I'll take my chances with anyone in the East.  Hawks can beat boston, miami, nyk, charlotte, and even bucks if they are healthy.   That's my story and I'm sticking too it.   

[JayBirdHawk]

1 hour ago, RedDawg#8 said:

They are the 2021 version of the Heat right now.

I disagree.  That Heat team had battle tested players lead by Butler who has been through playoff games.