The Hawks turned the big 6-0 Friday.
On a night the team unveiled its 2014-15 Southeast Division championship banner in the rafters of Philips Arena, it recorded its the 60th regular-season victory. The franchise record for wins in a season continues to climb.
The Hawks dismantled the Hornets with a second-half surge en route to the 104-80 win. The loss coupled with a win by the Celtics eliminated the Hornets from the Eastern Conference playoff race.
“It’s definitely special for the Atlanta Hawks organization and our fans,” Al Horford said. “First time in history and I’m very proud to be a part of that.”
The Hawks (60-19, 35-5 home) have won four straight with three regular-season games remaining before they enter the playoffs as the No. 1 seed in the East.
Mike Muscala scored a game-high 17 points, one off his career-high, to lead the Hawks. Muscala started for the injured Paul Millsap for the third straight game and has put up impressive numbers. The second-year center is 21 of 25 (.840) from the field over the past five games.
“It’s nice to see some shots go in,” said Muscala, unaware of his shooting efficiency of late. “I definitely feel more comfortable and in a good rhythm. I think more than anything, I’m in a good rhythm.”
Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer praised Muscala for his ability to score in different ways. He was 8 of 9 from the field that included several mid-range jumpers, a 3-pointer and a dunk off an offensive rebound. He also had six rebounds. The eight field goals was a career-high.
“He is finding ways to score around the basket,” Budenholzer said. “He is putting a lot of pressure on the rim in our pick-and-roll game. He is rolling. Hopefully, there is good spacing, good shooting and you have to put pressure on the rim in your offense. He is finding ways to score there. Then he’s knocking down a couple jumpers. He’s working the offensive glass. Some of these guys who score, when you have variety in how you score you can have a good game. You can find a way to impact the game. If you are just dependent on one thing, which he is not, especially recently, then you can have a night like tonight.”
The Hawks also got double-digit scoring from Kyle Korver (16), Horford (15) and Dennis Schroder (14).
The East standings still have the Nets in the No. 8 seed and a potential first-round playoff matchup with the Hawks. The Celtics, Nets and Pacers all won Wednesday to keep the conference standings unchanged.
The Hornets (33-46) dropped their third straight as the limp – literally – to the finish line. They started a lineup missing four regulars. Troy Daniels led the Hornets with 15 points.
“You have to give a lot of credit to Atlanta,” said the Hornets’ Marvin Williams, a former Hawk. “Those guys have won 60 games. From a personal standpoint, I’m really happy for guys like Jeff (Teague) and Al (Horford), who were teammates of mine. Those guys, from the outside looking in, are a very, very good team.”
The Hornets held a 48-47 lead at halftime. The Hawks opened the third quarter on a 9-2 run. By the time the period was over, the Hawks outscored the Hornets 23-12. It was the lowest third-quarter point total allowed by the Hawks this season. The 10-point advantage would grow to as many as 27 points in the final quarter as the Hawks cruised to the victory.
“We just came in the locker room (at halftime) and told ourselves we’re playing for something,” DeMarre Carroll said. “We’re playing to get ready for the playoffs. That’s what we did. We just came out as a group, collectively as a team, pushed the gas and told ourselves that we are playing for something.”
That previous franchise record of 57 wins, set in the 1986-87 and 1993-94 seasons, is a distant memory.
“It means it’s been a great regular season,” Korver said of the 60 wins. “It really has been. There have been a lot of really good things that have happened in the city and the organization. We can feel good about the 60 wins. That’s a great accomplishment. But it’s a regular-season accomplishment. We’ll think about those things in a few months.”
The Hawks next travel to the Wizards on Sunday.
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