The Hawks’ magic number is one – for Mike Budenholzer to coach the Eastern Conference All-Stars.
The Hawks (34-8) hold a five-game lead over the Wizards (29-13) in the conference and each team has six games left through Feb. 1. That is the cutoff date for the NBA to determine the teams with the best records in each conference. Coaches from those teams will direct the All-Star Game, this year to be played Feb. 15 at Madison Square Garden.
Since the Hawks hold a tie breaker over the Wizards, based on a 2-0 head-to-head record this season, any combination of a Hawks win or Wizards loss will mean Budenholzer and his staff are headed to the Big Apple.
In addition to Budenholzer coaching the Eastern Conference, one of his assistants will coach in the Rising Stars Challenge.
The Hawks have all six remaining games through the cutoff date at home against the Pacers, Thunder, Timberwolves, Nets, Trail Blazers and 76ers. The Wizards host the Thunder and the Raptors with games at the Trail Blazers, Nuggets, Lakers and Suns in between.
The Hawks hold a 6.5 game lead over the Raptors (27-14), who have seven games left through Feb. 1.
Budenholzer would be the fourth Atlanta Hawks coach to be on the bench for an All-Star Game. Richie Guerin led the squad, then in the Western Conference, two straight years from 1969-70. Mike Fratello in 1988 and Lenny Wilkens in 1994 coached the Eastern Conference.
With the franchise in St. Louis, Alex Hannum, Ed Maccauley (twice) and Paul Seymour coached the West four straight years from 1958-61.
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