Hawks’ win streak sets up improbable push toward playoff spot in final stretch

HOUSTON — What a difference a few weeks can make.

Just before the All-Star break, the Hawks’ outlook for a postseason run looked bleak. Some might have even said cooked.

Heading into the All-Star break, the Hawks (38-31), then the 10th-seeded team in the Eastern Conference, held just a ½-game lead over the Bulls.

They were also 6½ games behind the Raptors and 5½ games behind the 76ers for the fifth and sixth seeds, respectively.

Five weeks later, the Hawks have more than scraped some of the char off. Though they’ve climbed to eighth place following an 11-game win streak, the Hawks have positioned themselves potentially to make a jump as high as the fifth or sixth seed.

Teams have shifted several times in the Eastern Conference standings in the last few weeks. But after Wednesday’s win, the Hawks were just 1½ games behind the Raptors for fifth and ½ game back from the Magic for sixth.

The Hawks have essentially made up a 6½-game deficit to the 76ers since Feb. 19, and now have a one-game lead for the eighth seed. Of course, the Hawks also hold the tiebreak after sweeping the 76ers this season.

The Hawks have the same record as the Heat, but they don’t hold that tiebreaker. The Heat currently lead the Hawks 2-1 in the season series and the two teams won’t face each other until the regular-season finale on April 12.

Part of what has helped the Hawks in their improbable turnaround has been the cohesiveness of their new players. The Hawks made several moves ahead of the trade deadline, acquiring seven new players who needed time to jell.

Not only did the players need time to develop chemistry, but they also needed to build that familiarity, all while the team’s coaching staff made rotation and lineup changes.

“It’s a credit to all of them,” Hawks coach Quin Snyder said. “It’s difficult to put yourself in their shoes. And I think the thing that stands out more than anything is as guys have had to adjust to one another, which really means adjusting the roles, I think it was important for us to actually settle in.

“And really, this is the first night that that’s really happened with Jonathan (Kuminga) as well, and it’s required all of them to really have a selfless attitude.”

That chemistry has translated into the Hawks playing stifling defense over the last 28 days.

Since the All-Star break, the Hawks have the NBA’s best net rating and the second-best defensive rating, behind the Thunder.

As the Hawks play their final 13 regular-season games, there is enough of a runway for them to continue making up ground, despite having the sixth-toughest remaining schedule.

Per Tankathon, the three teams currently ahead of the Hawks all have weaker schedules down the stretch. Tankathon looks at teams’ remaining games and calculates the combined winning percentage for all their opponents.

The Raptors have the 19th-hardest remaining schedule, while the Magic are 16th.