Paul Millsap doesn’t care that the Hawks’ magic number to clinch a playoff spot is a mere three games.
Or for that matter, that the numbers are down to 10 to clinch the Southeast Division and 14 to secure the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. With 23 regular-season games remaining, just about a quarter of the season, bigger goals remain.
“Three is not good enough,” Millsap said. “It’s as simple as that. We hold ourselves to higher standards. We are trying to accomplish something great. Just getting to the playoffs is not good enough for us.”
The Hawks (47-12) entered Monday’s NBA schedule with a 10-game lead in the conference. Earning the franchise’s eighth straight postseason berth is a foregone conclusion. This stellar season has the franchise and community dreaming of the NBA Finals. The Hawks are only 10 victories shy of the franchise single-season record of 57 wins, last done in 1993-94.
“We are at a good place,” Al Horford said. “I still feel like we can get better. There are some things we need to keep working on at being sharper. You can start seeing the way teams are playing, the intensity is getting bigger. Watching some other games (Sunday), you could feel it. It’s starting to be that time again, playoff time. We’ll keep stepping our game up.”
It’s that time of year. Teams are fighting for playoff position and the intensity of games is being notched up as a result. In the East, six teams are separated by just 2-1/2 games for the final two playoff spots.
Millsap and Horford both said they have noticed a change in the intensity levels of games and opponents as the regular season winds down. With 59 games played, the Hawks are no longer the surprise of the league.
“It’s a different challenge for us right now,” Horford said. “I felt like maybe we were a little under the radar, teams weren’t acknowledging us as much. Now, they are coming out ready to play us and bringing their top game. It’s a different challenge and it’s good for our team. We haven’t been in this position before. We are learning as we go.”
Added Millsap: “Teams are really trying to get at it and work their way up the standings. We are at the top of the standings. We are trying to hold them off.”
The Hawks certainly weren’t going to continue to win at the rate of 33 out of 35 games, the stretch that ended with the franchise-record 19-game win streak. Since then, they are 7-4 and have increased their lead in the conference. The Hawks headed into last month’s All-Star break with a six-game lead. It’s up to 10 now as they have won four straight headed into Tuesday’s matchup with the Rockets.
The never-satisfied philosophy of coach Mike Budenholzer and team continues with several goals close at hand.
“We are a team that needs to keep working and getting better,” Budenholzer said. “I don’t know that we’ve played that great recently. So, I think we’d like to keep getting better for longer stretches. It’s always your goal. It seems like you are getting closer and (then) you don’t play as close to 48 minutes as you would like to.”
There have been plenty of positives for coaches, players and fans to reflect on this season. It’s clear, however, there is still more work to do.
Notes: All four Hawks players who missed Saturday's win over the Heat were at practice Monday. Jeff Teague (left hamstring), DeMarre Carroll (left shoulder), Al Hoford (personal) and Pero Antic (knee) participated in the workout and will be available Tuesday, according to Budenholzer. … Reserve Mike Muscala returned from his one-game stint in the NBA Development League Sunday. … The Rockets have placed star James Harden on their injury report with a bruised left shoulder and listed him as probable.
