The second half of the Hawks’ schedule was released Wednesday afternoon, and they are slated for six national TV games over that span.
The second half of their season will begin March 11 vs. the Raptors in Tampa and conclude with a home game vs. Houston on May 16. The national TV games are as follows: March 26 at Golden State on ESPN and April 15 vs. Milwaukee on TNT, with four games on NBA TV: March 28 at Denver, April 4 vs. Golden State, April 25 vs. Milwaukee and May 10 vs. Washington.
All in all, they will play 36 times in the second half, which will consist of 19 home games and 17 away games, though they’ll face a brutal eight-game trip out West from late March to early April at the Lakers, Clippers, Kings, Warriors, Nuggets, Suns, Spurs and Pelicans. They play seven of their final eight games at home, which could help give them the opportunity to finish strong.
The Hawks, who have yet to win on the second night of a back-to-back this season, with one such game vs. the Celtics scheduled for Wednesday night, will have eight back-to-backs in the second half.
Because of scheduling issues caused by the coronavirus pandemic, this season is shortened, with only 72 games. This season also is quite compressed, with the Hawks usually playing four games a week, which does not allow for much practice time at all.
Regionally available games will be televised on Fox Sports Southeast, which will be rebranded to Bally Sports Southeast in the next few months. All games also will air on 92.9 The Game and the Hawks Radio Network.
The second half of the regular season will be followed by the play-in tournament May 18-21, per the league, then the 2021 NBA playoffs, which will begin May 22. As of Wednesday afternoon, with five games left in the first half of the season before the All-Star break, the Hawks (13-18) are No. 11 in the Eastern Conference standings, one slot away from making the play-in tournament.
The Hawks have several players out with long-term injuries (Bogdan Bogdanovic is rehabbing an avulsion fracture in his right knee, Kris Dunn has right knee problems and is recovering from right ankle surgery, De’Andre Hunter is recovering from meniscus debridement in his right knee) and will no doubt hope to get some players healthy in the second half in time to make a run and jump up the standings.
Hawks second-half schedule
March 11 at Toronto, 7:30 p.m.
March 13 vs. Sacramento, 7:30 p.m.
March 14 vs. Cleveland, 7:30 p.m.
March 16 at Houston, 7 p.m.
March 18 vs. Oklahoma City, 7:30 p.m.
March 20 at LA Lakers, 12:30 p.m.
March 22 at LA Clippers, 7 p.m.
March 24 at Sacramento, 7 p.m.
March 26 at Golden State, 7 p.m. (ESPN)
March 28 at Denver, 7 p.m. (NBA TV)
March 30 at Phoenix, 7 p.m.
April 1 at San Antonio, 7:30 p.m.
April 2 at New Orleans, 7:30 p.m. (8 p.m.)
April 4 vs. Golden State, 7:30 p.m. (NBA TV)
April 6 vs. New Orleans, 7:30 p.m.
April 7 vs. Memphis, 8 p.m.
April 9 vs. Chicago, 7:30 p.m.
April 11 at Charlotte, 1 p.m.
April 13 at Toronto, 7:30 p.m.
April 15 vs. Milwaukee, 7:30 p.m. (TNT)
April 18 vs. Indiana (1 p.m.)
April 20 vs. Orlando, 7:30 p.m.
April 21 at New York, 8 p.m.
April 23 vs. Miami, 7:30 p.m.
April 25 vs. Milwaukee, 7:30 p.m. (NBA TV)
April 26 at Detroit, 7 p.m.
April 28 at Philadelphia, 7 p.m.
April 30 at Philadelphia, 7 p.m.
May 1 vs. Chicago, 8 p.m.
May 3 vs. Portland, 8 p.m.
May 5 vs. Phoenix, 8 p.m.
May 6 at Indiana, 8 p.m.
May 10 vs. Washington, 7:30 p.m. (NBA TV)
May 12 vs. Washington, 7:30 p.m.
May 13 vs. Orlando, 7:30 p.m.
May 16 vs. Houston, time TBD
