Completing the sweep of their five-game homestand after a tough road trip, the Hawks are now 9-9 overall with an 8-1 home record.
That’s the best home record in the Eastern Conference, but they also own the East’s worst record on the road: 1-8. Although playing in front of your own fans has its advantages, a lot of that severe split comes down to strength of schedule. The Hawks played three of the top four teams in the Western Conference, Golden State, Phoenix and Utah, on their most recent road trip, in addition to a good Denver team.
On the following homestand, they beat the shorthanded Bucks and Celtics and the rebuilding Magic and Thunder, plus a solid Charlotte team. The next step for the Hawks, coach Nate McMillan said after the win vs. Oklahoma City on Monday night, is to get that success at home to translate to the road (the Hawks play in San Antonio on Wednesday and in Memphis on Friday).
“Now we’re back at .500,” McMillan said. “We have to take this play out on the road and get some wins on the road. Just respect how the guys bounced back and were able to get all five games here at home. Now we have to go back out on the road.”
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