For the first time since March 11, 2020, a large amount of fans crowded into State Farm Arena.
The Hawks, who hadn’t played in front of a packed home court since that day when the NBA shut down because of COVID-19, welcomed a near-full capacity crowd for Game 3 of their first-round playoff series vs. the Knicks on Friday. The series is tied 1-1 entering Game 3.
The arena was a sea of red, with shirts with “Believe” printed across the chest draped across every seat, calling back to interim coach Nate McMillan’s message to the team this season. The arena was sold out (anywhere from 15,500-16,200 is expected) with standing room-only spots offered, as well. This is the Hawks’ first trip to the playoffs since the 2016 season, and represent the most meaningful minutes several of the young players on the roster have ever played.
Among a crowd that hadn’t congregated in more than a year, you could feel the energy bubbling up, with the return of some normalcy. No fake crowd noise was needed to cheer the home team on.
The Hawks will have home-court advantage again for Game 4, which will tip off at 1 p.m. Sunday.
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