Hawks get playoff preview Tuesday

Hawks fans won’t have to wait until the weekend to see what their team will look like against their first round playoff foe.

They’ll get a sneak preview Tuesday night at Philips Arena when the Hawks host the Miami Heat in the regular season home finale.

The Heat (42-38) locked up the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference playoff chase Sunday, their win over New York on Sunday and Philadelphia’s loss to Toronto combining to solidify their position.

The Hawks (46-34) own the fourth spot and home court advantage, locked up with Friday’s home win over Indiana, and will host the Heat in a best-of-seven series beginning either Saturday or Sunday. The NBA playoff schedule will not be released until after all the playoff seeds in both the Eastern and Western Conference are finalized Wednesday.

In addition to being a playoff preview, Tuesday’s game serves as the Hawks’ chance to win the season series over the Heat. They own a 2-1 advantage, winning 87-83 Dec. 12 in Miami and 91-83 Feb. 27 at Philips.

The Heat’s only win was a 95-79 decision Jan. 26 in Miami.