You can add Southeast Division champions to the growing list of achievements for the Hawks during this remarkable season.
The Hawks concluded a season-long six-game trip Friday with a loss to the Thunder to finish the 11-day excursion at 3-3. However, as the Hawks returned home following the defeat, flying somewhere over the heartland, the Wizards lost to the Clippers. The Hawks claimed their first division title since the 1993-94 season and will open the NBA playoffs at home.
The Hawks wrapped up their eighth consecutive postseason berth March 3, well after a home victory over the Rockets had ended. Now, the division title comes with little fanfare. Perhaps the top seed in the Eastern Conference, which remains close at hand, will come when there can be some celebration.
Don’t count on it. These Hawks are not wired that way.
The Hawks’ magic number to clinch home-court advantage throughout the playoffs is three over the Cavaliers, with 13 games remaining in the regular season.
At the forefront for the Hawks is a season-long two-game losing streak, something they’ve done only four times this season. The final two losses on the trip were a lopsided defeat to the Warriors and a fourth-quarter collapse to the Thunder.
“It’s a little disappointing,” Paul Millsap said. “I think we learned something about ourselves on this road trip. We haven’t had a lot of road trips like this, so we learned something positive we can take with us.”
The trip started with a loss to the Nuggets, a game the Hawks trailed by 30-plus points. In between were wins over the Suns, Lakers and Kings, non-playoff position teams.
“We are playing good, but we’d like to be playing better for longer stretches of the game,” coach Mike Budenholzer said. “We had a couple of clunkers or duds on this trip. We don’t like those.”
Next up is a game with the defending NBA champion Spurs on Sunday afternoon at Philips Arena.
Of concern with the playoffs less than a month away are two injuries sustained during the trip. Starter Kyle Korver sustained a broken nose against the Lakers. He missed the past three games and will be re-evaluated upon the team’s return to Atlanta. Key reserve Mike Scott sustained a sprained left big toe against the Nuggets and will miss two to four weeks. The return of Thabo Sefolosha, who has missed 22 games with a calf strain, is near.
A full return to health with the playoffs looming would help. Returning to form is the main goal. The Hawks insist they will be better for the losses in two of better home environments in the NBA.
“There were definitely positives,” Millsap said after the loss to the Thunder. “The way we started the game. The way we played for three quarters. The way we shared the basketball. The way we looked like ourselves. We got back to playing Hawks basketball.
“It was beautiful. Everybody was shooting at a pretty high clip. That’s the way we have to continue to play.”
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