The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Playoff push enters home stretch
Former teammates will be factors for final opponents.
Some familiar faces stand in the middle of the Hawks’ path to the playoffs.
The team has five games remaining in the regular season, and four are against teams with a player who was in the Hawks’ starting lineup this time last year. Al Horford and the Celtics play at the Hawks tonight. Kyle Korver and the Cavaliers have back-to-back games Friday and Sunday. Jeff Teague and the Pacers are the final regular-season game next Wednesday. The Hawks’ final home game is against the Hornets the night before the finale.
Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer said he hasn’t given any thought to the familiar faces in the way of his team’s pursuit of a postseason spot and position.
“It just seems like it is par for the course in the NBA,” Budenholzer said. “Guys change teams and move. Obviously, a lot of respect for all three of those guys, but it’s pretty far from my train of thought.”
Not far from Budenholzer’s thoughts is the quest for the playoffs.
The Hawks (39-38) entered Wednesday sixth in the Eastern Conference. They trailed the fifth-place Bucks by a half-game and led the Bulls and Pacers by 1½ games for the final two playoff spots. The Heat were two games behind the Hawks in ninth place.
Should the Hawks make the playoffs, they will open on the road, as they cannot move higher than fifth place. An opponent, should the Hawks advance, could be any of the top four seeds — the Celtics, Cavaliers, Wizards and Raptors.
“For sure, we are going to make the playoffs,” Dennis Schroder said. “I’m pretty sure. I’m going to give it everything I’ve got to make it. We are going to make it.”
It’s been an up-and-down season for the Hawks. The playoffs once seemed a guarantee. They have twice lost seven consecutive games, including in a current stretch of nine losses in 11 games. Injuries left them without three starters for several games. The Hawks lost Paul Millsap (left knee synovitis) for eight games and Kent Bazemore (right knee bone bruise) for five. Thabo Sefolosha (right groin strain) remains out and will not play against the Celtics. There have been film sessions, including one Tuesday, to fix problems that have plagued the Hawks all season.
Enough is enough, Dwight Howard said.
“At this point, no more words that we can express,” Howard said. “We’ve said everything. I have no words. Actions. Just actions.”
Several Hawks players said the playoffs start now.
“You have to win every single one of the games to secure your spot,” Tim Hardaway Jr. said. “Anything can happen but we are definitely going into the last few games with a chip on our shoulder knowing we have to compete every possession because our season is on the line. We’ll go out there and try to win as many games as possible to secure a spot in the playoffs.”