The Hawks did exactly what they needed to do tonight - getting a road win (snapping a five-game skid away from home) in Toronto to get themselves back on track for home-court advantage in the first round. And, thanks to losses by the Heat and the Sixers, what seemed slightly tenuous entering the night is now all but assured.
The magic number (you know I love them) is now down to 2, as both the Sixers and Heat trail the Hawks in the loss column by 3 with only 4 games left to play.
This win was a team effort - 7 players in double figures, double-doubles by Al Horford (15 points and 12 rebounds) and Mike Bibby (13 points and 10 assists), and it was nice to see guys like Mo Evans and Al Horford get back on track after some shooting struggles the last few games.
Toronto may be out of the playoff hunt, but don't forget this was a legit playoff team the last two years and had won 6 straight until a loss on Sunday to the Knicks. They have the talent to beat any team in the league, home or away. This was a good get.
There is still work to be done, and a win tomorrow night in Milwaukee will really give the team a boost as they try to finish out the season on a run.
In the meantime, congrats to Woody and the team for the win.
