Hawks rise to fifth in East. Here’s how their playoff outlook has changed.

DETROIT — The race for positioning in the Eastern Conference appears far from over, with fewer than 10 games left in the regular season. After their win over the East-leading Pistons at Little Caesars Arena on Wednesday, the Hawks ascended to fifth place in the standings.

The last time the Hawks (41-32) held a spot in the top five was Nov. 30, 2025, when they had a 13-8 record after a double-overtime win over the 76ers. Four months later, the Hawks escaped with Wednesday’s 130-129 win in overtime. The last time they were in the top five this late in the season was in 2021.

It’s the Hawks’ 14th win in their last 15 games and their third straight.

Of course, there’s still more to be decided before the regular season ends on April 12, and the Hawks have a gauntlet of a schedule ahead of them. But their win over the Pistons, who were without MVP candidate Cade Cunningham and had gone 8-2 over the previous 10 games, reminded the Hawks that they are better than last Friday’s loss to the Rockets.

“I feel like Houston was the first real test we saw, and I feel like we just fractured really quick,” Hawks center Jock Landale said.

“And I think, going down early in the game is a lot, it’s a lot easier than being up big and then finding yourself in a fight in the middle of the fourth quarter. And I felt as though tonight we were close to showing signs of fractures, but we had so many steady voices in there, just bringing us back together and focusing on the next possession.”

The Hawks have the sixth-hardest remaining strength of schedule, according to Tankathon. With nine games left, the Hawks trail the fourth-place Cavaliers (29th-hardest schedule) by four games, including two matchups in the final week of the season.

Possible, but not probable.

If the regular season ended on Thursday, the Hawks would begin preparation for a playoff series against the Cavaliers.

The two teams split the head-to-head series earlier in the season but a lot has changed since their last meeting on Nov. 28.

The Cavaliers added James Harden at the trade deadline and recently saw the return of forward Max Strus. They ranked among the top four since Jan. 28, despite numerous injuries.

The Hawks have had some trouble against teams with a lot of size. So, they’ll have to lean even more heavily on their transition game to beat the Cavaliers’ frontcourt tandem of Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley.

The Hawks and Cavaliers will likely have to wait until the very end of the regular season to learn who they face in the postseason. The Eastern Conference does not have much separation between the teams in the fifth through 10th seeds.

But here is what some of the first-round matchups in the East could look like if the current standings hold.

Play-In Tournament

No. 7 76ers vs. No. 8 Heat

The 76ers got forward Paul George back in the rotation following a 25-game suspension. Plus, if they get a healthy Joel Embiid back, the Sixers add another layer that could equalize the Heat’s size advantage.

But the Heat have a ton of outside shooting in Tyler Herro and Norman Powell that stretches opposing defenses. They’ve also seen a surge from Bam Adebayo, who is in the midst of one of his best seasons since his first All-Star nod in 2022-23 season.

No. 9 Hornets vs. No. 10 Magic

The Hornets hit a speed bump that slowed their midseason rise into the top 10. But they’ve seemed to stabilize and they’ve continued to punish opponents from beyond the arc, behind Kon Knueppel and LaMelo Ball.

The Magic have dealt with their own slump, especially while navigating the absence of Franz Wagner and Anthony Black. They’ve seen Paolo Banchero settle into the season after his early struggles.

But the Hornets have the Magic’s number this season after winning three of the four games.

Playoffs

The Pistons and the Celtics, who currently hold the first and second seeds, respectively, will have to wait for the outcomes of the Play-In Tournament.