In weekend victories against the Nets and Cavaliers, the Hawks flashed the kind of efficient, confident basketball that had been missing for most of the previous six weeks.
But the Hawks didn't face much adversity against two of the worst teams in the Eastern Conference. The problems usually begin for the Hawks against better opponents, which are essentially all they will play over the final eight games of the regular season.
The Hawks own a 15-22 record against the 15 other teams in position for the playoffs, including a 3-10 mark since the All-Star break. Starting with Orlando on Wednesday at Philips Arena, seven of the Hawks final eight opponents either have clinched postseason berths or have a good chance to do so.
"Against playoff teams, what has been our Achilles' heel is when we hit a little bit of a lull, we allow it to affect us instead of pushing through it," Hawks coach Larry Drew said. "When we get to the point to where we can really do that on a consistent basis, then that's when we have made that next step."
That has been an elusive leap for the Hawks since the Magic swept them by an NBA-record margin of 101 points in the Eastern Conference semifinals last spring. Now Orlando is the most likely opponent for the Hawks in the first round of the playoffs.
But in another strange twist for a sometimes-confounding team, the Hawks have held their own against Orlando. They lost 93-89 at Orlando in November before winning the past two meetings. Defeating Orlando again would give the Hawks the season series.
"I think we understand the significance of this game and the psychology of it as far as this is more than likely our first-round opponent," guard Joe Johnson said. "This is definitely a statement game, a game that we really need to come out and take seriously. We can go up 3-1 and have the mental edge on them as well."
The game starts a difficult closing schedule for the Hawks, who had lost 14 of 21 games before their modest two-game winning streak. Only an April 9 game at Washington offers an opponent certain to be playing for little more than pride and setting the number of ping-pong balls they get in the draft lottery.
Four of the Hawks' final eight opponents have clinched berths in the playoffs (Orlando, Boston, San Antonio and Miami), and the Heat and Celtics are locked in tight races with Chicago for seeding. The other foes are fighting to make the postseason: Indiana, Charlotte and Houston.
Those teams figure to gauge how eager the Hawks are to push back when things get tough.
"When we get down a little bit or we hit some adversity, I feel like our guys get away from how we play," Hawks center Al Horford said. "When we play the right way, it's good to see. When we start trying to do it individually, it leads to no good usually."
With Johnson (thumb) set to return to the lineup, this could be the first meeting in which the Hawks and Magic both have all of their regular starters available.
Magic guard Jameer Nelson missed the first meeting with an injury. Nelson and Johnson sat out the 80-74 Hawks victory Dec. 6. And Orlando had just added Hedo Turkoglu and Jason Richardson in trades when they lost to the Hawks 91-81 on Dec. 20 at Philips Arena.
Regardless of the circumstances, the Hawks view those games against Orlando as confidence boosters.
"Mentally we were a little concerned about coming into this season, at least I was, after the way it ended last year against Orlando," Drew said. "The margin of victory -- for players mentally that will always be in the back of their minds. I think guys feel totally different about playing this team now."
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