The Hawks should fear no foe in the NBA’s play-in tournament. Their 15-9 record since Feb. 15 includes eight quality wins and really only three bad losses. The Hawks have the NBA’s fifth-best point differential over the past two weeks. They have some significant flaws, but the Hawks have a good chance of getting through to the playoffs with Trae Young as the engine for the Eastern Conference’s best offense.
Still, some matchups are better than others for the Hawks. They’d like to see the Cavaliers. The Hawks beat Cleveland three out of four times this season, including a 131-107 drubbing March 31. It would not be ideal for the Hawks to face Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in a win-or-go-home game. There are still several permutations for the four play-in seeds on the final day of the regular season, but an eventual elimination game against the Nets is possible for the Hawks, should Sunday’s results go a certain way.
There are two scenarios in which the Hawks earn the No. 8 seed. That’s crucial because then they could lose the play-in opener and still get another chance to advance. Both eight-seed possibilities require the Hawks to win at Houston, which owns the NBA’s worst record, while either the Cavaliers or Nets lose.
