Atlanta Hawks
Atlanta Hawks

No. 5 seed Hawks will face No. 4 seed Knicks in first round of playoffs

New York Knicks guard RJ Barrett (9) drives for a layup against Hawks forward John Collins (20) during the third quarter Wednesday, April 21, 2021, in New York. (Wendell Cruz/AP)

Credit: Wendell Cruz

Credit: Wendell Cruz

New York Knicks guard RJ Barrett (9) drives for a layup against Hawks forward John Collins (20) during the third quarter Wednesday, April 21, 2021, in New York. (Wendell Cruz/AP)
By
May 16, 2021

The Hawks, winners of the Southeast Division, will be the No. 5 seed in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.

They knew this ahead of their 124-95 regular season finale over the Rockets Sunday night. The Knicks ended the regular season with a 96-92 win over the Celtics, securing the No. 4 seed and homecourt advantage in Round 1. The Heat will be the No. 6 seed.

This will be the Hawks’ first trip to the playoffs since the 2016 season.

“This team has done a really incredible job this season finding a way to fight and get back in the race and get into the playoffs, and finish at the fifth spot, and win the division,” interim coach Nate McMillan said. “I think it’s been an incredible season for these guys. They’ve found a way to have some success. The goal at the beginning of the season was to get into the playoffs and they’ve been able to do that. Now we have an opportunity to just see where we are once we get in there.”

In the regular season, the Knicks swept the Hawks in three matchups. Two of those losses came under former head coach Lloyd Pierce. In the final loss, Trae Young got hurt in the third quarter, with the Hawks up by six.

About the Author

Sarah K. Spencer, a Georgia native and UGA alum, spearheads sports video at the AJC. She also serves as a general assignment writer and previously covered the Hawks from 2019-22.

Follow Sarah K. Spencer on twitter
More Stories

Keep Reading

Hawks player Ken Norman (right) picks up Lenny Wilkens after the coach's record-breaking 939th career win in 1995. (AJC file photo)

Credit: JONATHAN NEWTON

Hawks, NBA mourn death of Lenny Wilkens, Hall of Fame player and coach

Hovering Hawks: Here are five burning questions through first 10 games

The Hawks have one of the youngest rosters in the league, and injuries to established starters have meant their younger players have had to develop quickly.

Mo problems: Gueye helps short-handed Hawks play together in win over Lakers

The Hawks were down some of their top players, but Mouhamed Gueye and Dyson Daniels were more than enough in a 122-102 win over the Lakers.

The Latest

Hawks player Ken Norman (right) picks up Lenny Wilkens after the coach's record-breaking 939th career win in 1995. (AJC file photo)

Credit: JONATHAN NEWTON

Hawks, NBA mourn death of Lenny Wilkens, Hall of Fame player and coach

Hovering Hawks: Here are five burning questions through first 10 games

Mo problems: Gueye helps short-handed Hawks play together in win over Lakers

Featured

Passengers wait at a Delta check-in counter at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport domestic terminal on Friday, Nov. 7, 2025, the first day of the Federal Aviation Administration cutting flight capacity at airports during the government shutdown. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)

Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com

Mass cancellations hit Atlanta airport, shutdown causes uncertainty

Air travel is struggling as the government shutdown causes hassles and uncertainty for travelers, disruptions for airlines and even less wiggle room to recover from problems.

ICE raids, calls for boycott: Home Depot on frontlines of Trump crackdown

As ICE ratchets up arrests to meet Trump administration objectives, few private companies have become as associated with the crackdown as Home Depot. But does it play a role?

Comedian Katt Williams defeats women’s suit over Midtown brawl

With a legal technicality, Georgia-based comedian Katt Williams has dodged a lawsuit filed by four women who claim he violently assaulted them outside an Atlanta club.