The Atlanta Hawks plunged into three miserable years, rebuilding the roster completely, all with the idea of finally taking a big step forward this season.
But, approaching the middle of the season, they stumble to one of the worst records in the NBA.
Coach Lloyd Pierce was fired. Nate McMillan took the reins on an interim basis.
Suddenly, the Hawks took a complete turn.
It all paid off Wednesday night, when Atlanta secured its first playoff berth since 2017 with a 120-116 victory over the Washington Wizards.
This is what I came here for, to try to help this team reach the next level, said McMillan, who will most likely be seriously considered for the Coach of the Year award despite his interim tag. These guys have accepted it. I am very excited to be a part of this.
The Hawks aren’t the only rookies on the playoff scene.
The New York Knicks broke an even longer drought, certifying their first postseason pass since 2013 after Boston lost to Cleveland.
New York has been one of the NBA’s revelations under new coach Tom Thibodeau, going 38-31 after seven straight seasons with records with more losses than wins. The Knicks could have secured the pass Tuesday in Los Angeles, but the Lakers came from below to beat them in overtime.
But they were able to celebrate one night later.
Star Julius Randle made it clear that the Knicks have bigger goals.
Check it off the list. We’re not done, he said on Twitter.
The Hawks were 14-20 when Pierce was fired on March 1, just days before their arena was to host the All-Star Game.
Since McMillan took over, the Hawks are 25-11. The only team with the most wins since that point in the season is the Phoenix Suns, at 26-9.
That shows what we had, said Trae Young, the face of the franchise. We needed to believe in each other and go out and play.
In their playoff win, the Hawks rallied from a 13-point deficit in the fourth period. Young and John Collins made big baskets and Atlanta tightened their defense to leave the Wizards scoreless in the final 2 1/2 minutes.
Really where I’ve seen we’ve grown is in our closures, McMillan said. We have managed to play 48 minutes and sentence those games.
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