Five things to watch in Hawks’ quest for playoffs

Opponents: vs. Bulls, vs. Cavaliers, at Pacers, vs. Pistons, vs. Celtics, at Nets, vs. Heat, vs. Bobcats, at Bucks

Remaining opponents in playoff position: 5

Sub-.500 opponents: 5

Conference record: 22-21 (9 games remaining)

Knicks (32-43)

Games remaining: 7 (4 at home)

Opponents: vs. Nets, vs. Wizards, at Heat, at Raptors, vs. Bulls, at Nets, vs. Raptors

Remaining opponents in playoff position: 7

Sub-.500 opponents: 0

Conference record: 21-24 (7 games remaining)

On Feb. 1, the Hawks defeated the Timberwolves at home to improve to 25-21. They were one of only four teams in the Eastern Conference with a winning record — behind the Pacers and the Heat and ahead of the Raptors. The playoffs seemed a certainty and hosting a first-round series a real possibility.

That was a long time ago.

The Hawks have won seven of 27 games since that victory. They slipped from third in the conference to eighth in a stretch in which they lost 14 of 15 games. They now find themselves with a one-game lead over the Knicks for the final playoff spot. The Cavaliers are three games back.

“For us looking over our shoulders, we have two other teams that want our spot right now,” Paul Millsap said. “From here on out we have to (look at every game like a playoff game). We don’t want to look back and say we had a chance to make the playoffs, but … it’s just really imperative that we get these (coming) games.”

Here is a look at the five keys for the Hawks to earn the final postseason spot and avoid an early vacation.

The Hawks have the favorable schedule. They have a two-game lead over the Knicks in the loss column, with nine games remaining. Five of those games are against fellow sub-.500 teams. Six of those games are at home, where the Hawks have a .600 winning percentage. The Knicks have only seven games remaining. All of their remaining games are against above-.500 teams currently in playoff position. They play the Nets and Raptors, division rivals, twice each. While the Hawks were losing 14 of 15 games, the lone win was a comeback from 17 points to defeat the Knicks at home.

The Hawks, at least for the time being, are healthy. That has made a huge difference in their style of play and results. Before the season-ending injury to Al Horford, the Hawks were 16-13. They are 16-28 without their All-Star center. After some lineup juggling, the Hawks settled on a lineup of Jeff Teague, Kyle Korver, DeMarre Carroll, Pero Antic and Millsap. The Hawks are 10-4 when that group starts. Other injuries have popped up, and the Hawks have struggled without key pieces. They are 0-8 in games without Korver and 1-7 in games without Carroll. It will be a boost if the current starting group can stay healthy, allowing players such as Elton Brand, Lou Williams, Shelvin Mack and Mike Scott to come off the bench.

The Hawks have a chance at the playoffs if they pick up their defensive game. For the most part, they can score. Although an occasional drought has led to some losses, the Hawks rank 13th in the NBA in scoring at 101.0 points per game. However, they rank 20th in points allowed at 102.2 per game. Transition defense has been a major issue throughout the season. Coach Mike Budenholzer said that if they Hawks can play with defensive activity, mindful of discipline and attention to detail, the results will be positive.

The Knicks are hot. Despite the firestorm in New York as the Knicks were seemingly imploding, they have won 11 of their past 14 games. They have closed the gap on the Hawks, whose seven wins since February include a season-best five-game win streak. While the Knicks have the tougher schedule, they recently posted quality wins by defeating the Pacers at home and the Warriors on the road. The Hawks, who struggled to defeat the lowly 76ers on Monday, must break out of their losing ways. The margin for error is minimal. The Hawks have had bad losses this season, but they must take care of business down the stretch against the likes of the Cavaliers, Pistons and Celtics, all home games, and the Bucks.

The Hawks must return to some measure of success from 3-point range. The Hawks set a franchise record with 32 games with 10 or more 3-pointers made, but they shot 26.2 percent (48-of-183) over the past seven games. They didn't make more than nine 3-pointers in a game in that span. The return of Korver after a six-game absence because of back spasms will help. However, Antic (5-of-31 in the past seven games), Carroll (7-of-27 in the past eight games) and Scott (2-of-23 in the past 12 games) will need to pick up their recent proficiency.