Takin' care of business - that's what the Hawks have been doing the last couple weeks. Getting home wins over the Clips, Magic, Bucks, Bulls, and Knicks, sprinkled in with road wins at New York and Washington, has Atlanta sitting 2.5 games up in the chase for the last playoff spot with only 9 games left on the calendar. Over the past 9 games, the Hawks have won every game they were "supposed" to - all their home games, with the only losses coming at New Jersey and at Chicago (yes the Hawks could have won those games, but being that they were on the road against teams with talent, I wouldn't say we were supposed to).

Tonight's game at Memphis is another game I'd say we are "supposed" to win. The Grizzlies are in the league's basement, and we beat them with relative ease at Philips Arena back in December. Will we win? It's hard to say. We've had our share of troubles on the road this season, and the Grizzlies can still play despite their record; they beat the Lakers in Los Angeles on Friday.

Grizzlies blog 3 Shades of Blue has a breakdown of tonight's match-up and gives the Hawks the advantage at 4 of the 5 positions on the court.

I look at this game as a temperature check for this team. A win would be the team's fourth in a row, something they've only achieved once this season, amd one that would be a terrific boost for the team's confidence with the last tough stretch of the season on deck. Any chance the Hawks have to move up and avoid the Celtics in the first round will depend greatly on how they perform this week, as the Raptors and Sixers (twice) are next on the menu. A win tonight puts Atlanta within improbable but not completely unrealistic distance of making that kind of late charge. While a loss doesn't necessarily end those hopes (mathematically speaking), it won't bode well for them either - the team just won't be truly dangerous until they can show a capability to win games on the road.

Yes the Hawks are playing the second night of a back-to-back, but I think they can win this game. The Grizz are the kind of team you can beat during a back-to-back; i.e., they don't play much defense.

Look for the game to be up tempo, which plays to the strength of both teams, but look for Atlanta to use that more to its advantage and outscore Memphis for a critical road win.

Game time is 8:00 ET, and your channel is FSN.

Miami at Indiana
Desired Outcome: A Miami win! Chaos ensues! Dogs and cats living together!
Probable Outcome: Ummm...not gonna happen. Indiana may get Jermaine O'Neal back for tonight's game, but if that doesn't happen, they'll probably only win by 20 instead of 25.

Everyone deserves some credit for the Hawks last few wins (the last three of which earned the office free donuts this morning), but in particular I want to give some props to Marvin Williams. Marv had a pretty rough stretch during February and March, seeing his numbers drop across the board. You could tell it was affecting him, causing him to press and do things outside of his comfort zone.

In the last few games though, I think Marvin has started to return to form, partially by sticking to the things he does best (hitting mid-range jumpers) and partially by ramping up his contributions elsewhere. It's no mistake that two of his seven double-doubles have come in the last two games - he's clearly made it a priority for himself to become more active on the glass. Add it all up, and you have a player who is back to playing the kind of basketball he was early in the season, helping the team to a 15-12 start.

If he can keep this up, it greatly increases not only the team's chances of making the playoffs but also their abilities to do some damage once they get there.

And now for something completely different, your links from over the weekend:

The Hawks did what they needed to do on Wednesday, squashing the Bucks at home to preserve their slim margin over the Nets. Tonight they find themselves with another opportunity to make some real headway in the East, as they can knock the Bulls 4 games off the pace and, depending on what happens in Indiana between the Pacers and Nets, find themselves in with either a 1.5 game lead over New Jersey (with an Indy win), or staring at pretty much a two-team race to the finish (as a Pacers loss will knock them, like Chicago, too far back at 3.5 out with only 10 games to play).

This Bulls team has given the Hawks fits in Chicago, but their previous trip to Philips Arena resulted in one of the most dominant wins by Atlanta this season. What to expect tonight?

First things first, Mike Bibby is playing, which is a huge sigh of relief for Atlanta fans after he aggravated his thumb injury late in Wednesday's game. Dude is a gamer, and he knows what's at stake. I imagine Mike will get plenty of rest for his body once the season ends, but for now, it's going to take a lot more than a sore thumb to keep him off the court.

In talking to Hawks coach David Fizdale in our Breaking Down The Bulls segment today, he talked about the importance of keeping the Bulls off the offensive glass. Drew Gooden, who always seems to play well against the Hawks, was a beast on the boards in Chicago's win on Tuesday; keeping him in check will be one of the top priorities for the Hawks tonight.

The guys on the team know what's at stake. Josh Smith talked about it today after shootaround - it's hard not to pay attention to what the other teams are doing, but as long as the team controls their own destiny, they just have to focus on getting done what they need to get done.

Hopefully tonight they'll do just that.

Come down to Philips to check out all the action for yourself.

See you there!

Onto the links:

No word yet on his availability for Friday's game against Chicago, but if I hear anything at practice I'll pass it along. The Nets beat the Pacers to keep the pressure on the Hawks for the 8th spot, but the Pacers loss (and Chicago's loss) moves each of those teams a game further back.

Onto your links:

Atlanta is 1-2 against tonight's opponent, dropping both contests on the road and winning at home back in November. I anticipate that the Hawks will even up the series tonight - after all, the Bucks just lost two games to the Heat in the past seven days.

However, those losses also make me a little nervous. Even when your team is playing out the string like Milwaukee is, players still have pride. Losing a game to Miami at this point (without Wade) is tough to swallow, and the flack they are getting for it stings. So don't be surprised to see them come out tonight with something to prove.

Atlanta's lead is down to .5 games over New Jersey, but the team's fate is still very much in their own hands. Getting a win tonight will help make sure it stays that way.

Games To Watch

Chicago at Philadelphia
Desired Outcome: At first I want to say a Philly loss would be nice, but now that the Hawks are 5.5 behind them in the standings I think the Sixers are probably too far gone. So, a Chicago loss probably helps the most.
Probable Outcome: The Sixers have been on fire of late, and I don't see them slowing down against the Bulls.

Indiana at New Jersey
Desired Outcome: Either way someone is getting a helpful loss, but since the Nets have the tiebreaker we'll root for the Pacers.
Probable Outcome: Who knows? Neither of these teams are the bastion of consistency, but with the game being played in New Jersey, the odds are in the Nets' favor.

Onto the links:

• Hawks.com: Hawks-Bucks Preview

• AJC - BULLS 103, HAWKS 94: Chicago won't take dive

• AJC – Hawks Report

• Stats LLC – Hawks-Bucks preview

• NBA.com – Around the Association; Al Horford mentioned

• ESPN.com – Daily Dime; Al Horford mentioned

• NBA.com – Assist of the Night: Mike Bibby (video clip)

• ESPN.com – Hawks-Bulls video highlights

• About.com - NBA Teams - Weekly Southeast Division Report - 3.25.08; Hawks mentioned

• Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel - Goals getting smaller; Hawks-Bucks mentioned (scroll)

• Houston Chronicle - This vote's already cast for Scola; Al Horford mentioned (scroll)

• SI.com – NBA Power Rankings; Hawks mentioned

• Chicago Tribune - Bulls beat Hawks, stay alive in playoff hunt

• Washington Post - Agents Still Wooing Top Prep Stars; Williams, Childress mentioned (scroll)

If Atlanta can play as well as they have over the last five games, I think they can win tonight. But they are going to have to limit mistakes and come out sharp.

Tune into SportSouth at 8:30 to follow along.

The only other game of note tonight is New Orleans at Indiana - let's hope the Hornets can get the job done on the road...

Onto the links:

Four games on the schedule this week, including two with Chicago (on the road on Tuesday, at home on Friday). As Sekou Smith and I discussed today in the weekly podcast, the Bulls have always been a good measuring stick for this team. In the past they have owned us, but we broke through against them earlier this season in a 105-84 win at Philips. How Atlanta performs in the home-and-home this week will tell us alot about where things are headed over the last few weeks of the season.

A couple games on the slate tonight to pay attention to:

Philadelphia at Boston
Desired Outcome: Boston cruises.
Probable Outcome: Boston is on fire and returning home after a road-trip through the Southwest. The Celtics have the Atlantic Division sewn up, but can sweep the Sixers for the first time in 12 years with a win tonight. I say, pull out the brooms.

New Jersey at New York
Desired Outcome: The Knicks protect their home turf against their rivals from across the Hudson.
Probable Outcome: Hard to say. The Knicks have lost 6 straight at home, while the Nets have lost 9 straight on the road. Obviously, one of those has to give. I'll give this one to New Jersey since a) they need it more, and b) there is no way the Knicks should sweep the season series against anyone (they lead 3-0 going into tonight's contest).

In Saturday night's hugely important home win over Orlando that put Atlanta a game-and-a-half ahead of New Jersey for the 8 spot in the East with only 13 games remaining, Bibby was exactly what the Hawks expected when they made the deal.

Though Joe Johnson was by all account the MVP of the game, scoring a game-high 34 points, it was Bibby who played the Robin to JJ's Batman to perfection in helping the team beat the Magic at Philips Arena for the sixth straight time.

With the Hawks trailing by 4 entering the final period, Bibby hit consecutive 3's to open the period to give the Hawks the lead. Then late in the game, he found Al Horford for an easy lay-up (and-one) on a pick-and-roll. Finally, he iced the game with a fadeaway jumper, putting the Hawks up 6 with only 48 seconds left.

I can't really do justice to how important tonight's game was. A loss, and all of a sudden Atlanta is taking a two-game losing streak on the road to Chicago where they've lost six straight of their own.

Instead, thanks to the brilliance of Joe Johnson and the steady stewardship of Mike Bibby, the Hawks gave themselves a little padding in the standings as they begin a stretch of five games where 4-1 (at the least) is absolutely possible.

The playoff chase is on...

With Indiana only two games back of the Hawks, we'll move them back into the Games To Watch segment. Mike Dunleavy has quietly had a very impressive season for the Pacers, finally paying off on some of the promise that made him the 3rd pick in the draft back in 2002.

Three games to pay attention to on the slate tonight:

Minnesota at Indiana
Desired Outcome: A T-wolves upset.
Probable Outcome: Yeah, I don't know if I see this one happening, though I think the Wolves have shown some promise as this season has worn on. With a foundation of Al Jefferson, Randy Foye, Craig Smith, and Corey Brewer, they've got some nice young players to build around for the future. But it doesn't mean they'll get a win at Indy tonight.

Denver at New Jersey
Desired Outcome: The Nuggets let us down on Wednesday at Philadelphia, so it would be nice to see them come through with a road win at the IZOD Center.
Probable Outcome: Hard to say. If the Nets play like they did on Wednesday, they can beat any team in the NBA. Since they seem to rarely do that, I have a feeling the Nuggets (who are fighting for their own playoff lives in the West) will win the game and put a stop to their current five-game road losing streak.

Philadelphia at Orlando
Desired Outcome: We want an Orlando win for sure, but it'd be nice for Philly to make them work for it to tire them out a little before they visit Philips Arena tomorrow night.
Probable Outcome: Philly is playing really well of late, but the Magic are pretty solid at home (22-13). Magic win, but the Sixers do indeed keep it close.

Game To Watch
San Antonio at Chicago
Desired Outcome: The Hawks are 1.5 games up on Chicago, so obviously we'd like to see the Spurs take home the victory if possible.

Probable Outcome: Tough to say. Ordinarily I'd say the Spurs are way too much for the Bulls to handle, but they have been struggling of late, losing 4 straight and 6-of-7. Meanwhile Chicago has picked it up at home, winning 4 of the last 5. It will be close, but I look for San Antonio to right the ship with a victory at the United Center.

Just a quick note. As we all know, downtown Atlanta is a bit of a mess right now after the devastating tornado that struck last Friday night. With so many streets closed due to clean up from the storm and CNN Center closed for repairs as well, the Hawks are opening the doors 30 minutes early for Saturday night's game against Orlando.

Doors will open at 5:30 pm to accommodate fans who may be trying to beat traffic, and there will also be food and beverage specials going the first half hour as well - $1 hotdogs, popcorn, and soft drinks!

Be careful coming downtown, but don't let it deter you from coming to check out what should be a hard-fought division contest between the Hawks and Magic.
 

You know, Hawks fans complain about the frustration of watching their team underachieve, but I tell ya - I can't imagine being a Nets fan right now. How is that team 29-39 with that kind of talent?

Vince Carter was a world-beater last night, and no matter what we tried, we couldn't seem to stop him. So how come he doesn't do that more often? I still like our chances of beating New Jersey out for the final playoff spot, but if VC would play like that in every game they'd be pretty hard to stop.

So, the Hawks come home to face Orlando Saturday night at Philips, and with New Jersey hosting Denver on Friday, we'll either be a half-game up or a half-game out on the playoff race come tip off.

Onto the links:

I am pumped for tonight's game at New Jersey. I don't know how many times I've jumped on and off the Hawks' bandwagon this season, but if they get a win tonight, I'll be chloroforming the driver and taking over the reins myself.

This game is...huge. The Nets are a game behind the Hawks in the Eastern Conference standings. A win tonight puts them two back, which isn't a ton but also isn't nothing. More importantly, it will give the Hawks a split in the season series and will keep the Nets from owning that most important tie-breaker.

There are many, many things playing in Atlanta's favor going into tonight, which makes me nervous. The Nets played (and lost badly) last night. Devin Harris hurt his ankle and may not play. The Hawks are rested and confident after three straight wins. Clearly this is a game the Hawks could, if not should win. That kind of scenario has been the team's achilles heel so far this season (see losses to Clippers, Sonics, and Bobcats). Still, if the Hawks are going to be a playoff team, at some point they have to start winning those games.

I've said frequently that I think the confidence of a young team is something that can come and go quickly. It's a blessing and a curse. A team as young and inexperienced as the Hawks is capable of playing quite well for a period of time and then falling quickly into a funk for no apparent reason (as we saw at the end of December). The reverse is true as well though - a team could suffer through a cold stretch like the Hawks did after the All-Star break and then break out of it at a moment's notice by stringing a couple wins together.

Atlanta has looked like a different team the last three games out. They are defending with passion, getting open looks for each other, and scoring as efficiently as they have all season. If they can continue to do those things moving forward, not only is a playoff spot in the future but perhaps a higher seeding as well.

But, first things first, the team must win tonight's game against the Nets. Sure, the playoffs are still possible if they lose, but with a win tonight they can make a statement that will make their competitors sit up and take notice.

Tune it at 7:30 on FSN for all the action, and let's see the Hawks finish off a huge 3-0 road trip!

Games To Watch

Denver At Philadelphia
Desired Outcome: It's Allen Iverson's return to Philly, which means the boo birds will be out in the City of Brotherly Love (even moreso than usual). The Sixers have been playing pretty good basketball of late, while Denver just hung 168 on Seattle on Sunday. The Nuggets are only 12-20 on the road, but are desperate for wins as they try to claw their way back into the playoff race in the West. Let's hope AI makes his return to Philly a triumphant one.
Probable Outcome: The Nuggets got drilled last night in Detroit, which either means they'll be tired tonight or out to make up for it. I'd like to think they can win this one, but Philly has been pretty tough of late. I give it to the Sixers.

More coming later today to preview tonight's match-up.

For now, the links:

New Jersey at Chicago
Desired Outcome: It's hard to say. Can both teams lose? That'd be most ideal. Maybe they can have a disputed outcome at the end and the league can rule in a few weeks they need to replay it, but given the time constraints of the regular season they will just have to call the game incomplete. It wouldn't be a loss for either team, but it wouldn't be a win either!

I kid, I kid. It is tough to pick a horse, but I'll say it's probably better to have Chicago win this one and put New Jersey a full game behind the Hawks before tomorrow night's showdown. And if the game could go several overtimes, that wouldn't hurt.

Probable Outcome: Chicago isn't anything special at home (15-16 on the year), but they are less terrible than New Jersey is on the road (11-21). Look for the Bulls to pull this one out after beating Cleveland and Utah at home last week.

The Hawks won their third straight game last night, which means free donuts for the office today. Boo-yah!

Atlanta played tremendous basketball last night, with everyone who played contributing to a victory that put the Hawks back in the 8th spot in the Eastern Conference standings. In particular though I want to single out the performance of rookie Al Horford, who continues to convince me that it will be an absolute shame if he doesn't win Rookie of the Year honors. Horford played even better than his stats would indicate, which is pretty impressive considering he dropped a 12-point, 15-rebound, 6-assist and 2-block stat line on the Wizards.

I don't want to get ahead of myself here, but Sekou Smith mentioned something in his blog post last night that I totally agreed with - when the Hawks were playing well back in December, one of the reasons I felt like the success was fleeting was due to the lack of games during the Christmas break. Atlanta won it's 4th straight (at Washington, coincidentally) on Dec. 21, then didn't play again until five days later, when they beat the Pacers at home on Dec. 26. Following that, they had two more days off before they traveled to Dallas where the streak came to an end. They never really had a chance to get into a winning groove, and I always wondered if they'd not had to sit around so much if things might have gone slightly differently.

With 3 wins in the last 4 days, the Hawks are starting to hit a similar groove. The offense is clicking, with different guys stepping up each night to play a greater role, and the defense is clamping down a bit as well (witness them holding Caron Butler to 12 points on 4-13 shooting last night). The games the rest of this week are hugely important - at New Jersey on Wednesday night and Orlando at home on Saturday. Should the Hawks somehow find a way to win both of those games, they could really set themselves up for a huge run to end the month.

In looking at tie-breaker scenarios, the Hawks very much need to beat the Nets on Wednesday to salvage a 2-2 split in the season series. The next tie-breaker after head-to-head is conference record, and in that realm Atlanta currently lags behind New Jersey with a 17-21 record to the Nets' 20-18. But with only one game left against the Western Conference (a road date at Memphis on Mar. 31), the Hawks have some time to perhaps play a little catch-up.

The race is far from over, but I have liked what I've seen from the Hawks in their last three games - all complete performances from start to finish. Let's hope they can keep it going as the playoff push continues to gain steam...

The Hawks got two very nice wins over the weekend, asserting themselves offensively against the Clippers and Knicks to build some nice momentum going into tonight's contest at Washington. Though he didn't win Player of the Week honors (Antawn Jamison got 'em), Joe Johnson was certainly deserving of consideration. His play of late - wow. The dude is shooting 57% from 3-point range in his last 8 games, and averaging 29 ppg over that span. He has raised his game at the most crucial point of the season, and it is having a carryover affect on his teammates too, as he is also checking in with 5.8 assists over that stretch as well.

Last night we saw Marvin shake out of the funk he's been in as well, torching the Knicks for 15 of his 25 in the third quarter as Atlanta took control of the contest. When both he and Joe are shooting like that from the perimeter, the Hawks are awfully tough. We'll need both of them to reprise their performances in the next two games, as the Hawks take on potential playoff-berth usurpers Washington and New Jersey.

Atlanta put a little distance between themselves and some of the teams looking for that final playoff spot over the weekend, as a glance at the standings shows Indiana is now 3 games off the pace and Charlotte 4 back. In my opinion, those teams are about done. Anything is possible, but with several teams in play for the 8th seed, I think it's too much to ask for those two teams to make up even that much distance over the span of 16 games.

Chicago is right there still, 1.5 games back of Atlanta and New Jersey, so we'll continue to include them in the "Games To Watch" segment. If any of the other teams make a run, I'll bring them back in.

As discussed in today's BasketBlog Weekly Podcast with the DC Sports Bog's Dan Steinberg, tonight's game at Washington is huge for both the Hawks and Wizards. Atlanta won at Washington earlier this season, but the Wizards returned the favor twice at Philips. A win tonight evens the season series and gives the Hawks confidence galore going into Wednesday's game at New Jersey. For the Wizards, this is their last home game before they start a brutal stretch of 7-of-8 on the road, with the one home game coming against the Pistons. Their spot in the playoffs looks reasonably secure, but a bad run over the next two weeks could potentially place that in jeopardy.

Needless to say, I expect both teams to come ready to roll tonight.

Tune in to FSN at 7:00 to catch all the action!

Games To Watch For Mar. 17

Chicago at New Orleans
Desired Outcome: Go Hornets! New Orleans beat Chicago 100-86 in the teams' previous meeting this season, and a series sweep would be helpful to the Hawks cause.
Probable Outcome: The Hornets are 24-10 at home, but will have a tougher time than normal tonight as they play the second end of a back-to-back and are dealing with injuries to Chris Paul and David West that contributed to a 105-84 loss to Detroit on Sunday. I wouldn't be surprised to see the Bulls steal one here.

Tonight's game against the Clippers is absolutely crucial to the team's playoff chances. LA isn't playing particularly well, but they handed the Hawks a loss out in LA back in January behind newly unstoppable rookie Al Thornton's 33. What I'm saying is, the Hawks should win, but if they show up thinking the game is already over, they could be in trouble.

It will be very interesting to see how the team reacts to Wednesday's loss to Houston. Will they be resilient and fighting-mad, knowing they could have won the game and out to prove their mettle? Or will they let the loss linger and come out with the game still on their minds?

Either way, tonight's game is particularly important as the team heads out on a possibly season-course-altering three-game road trip afterwards. At New York on Sunday, at Washington on Monday, and at New Jersey on Wednesday. All three are winnable, but none are guaranteed. I really think how the team fares in the next four games will show us whether or not this playoff push is serious business or a mirage.

Come down to Philips to help give the guys a lift and get them back on the good side of the playoff standings.

Here are the other games to take note of tonight:

Philadelphia at Chicago
Desired Outcome: A pivotal game, as it features two of the teams the Hawks are in direct competition against. It's a shame both teams can't lose, but if I had to choose a winner, I'll say Philly, since the Sixers are already ahead of us while the Bulls are right there next to us in the battle for the 8th spot.
Probable Outcome: The Bulls beat the Jazz at home on Wednesday, and I expect them to defend their home court again tonight.

Indiana at Dallas
Desired Outcome: Dallas is 28-4 at home this season, and I don't expect that to change this evening.
Probable Outcome: Mavs in a rout.

Charlotte at Houston
Desired Outcome: The Bobcats are putting themselves firmly in the race for the playoffs, winning five of their last six. Houston can push them back towards the pack with their 21-straight win tonight, which would give them the second-longest winning streak in NBA history.
Probable Outcome: Since this game is in Houston, I don't see any reason to bet against #21.

For the third straight year, the NBA is hosting a Dance Team Bracket, set up to run much like the NCAA Tournament.

The Hawks A-Town Dancers are in action today in a first-round matchup with Detroit's Automotion.

Stop reading this right now and go vote for A-Town!

Sorry for the late posting, I'm still trying to recover from last night's game. I thought the Hawks defense did what it needed to do to beat Houston, but unfortunately the offense just couldn't do the rest. No time to cry over spilled milk though, there is still basketball to be played and playoffs to be made.

Only one game on the slate for tonight worth worrying about, with Cleveland playing at Washington. Cleveland did us no favors last night by losing at New Jersey, so hopefully they'll make it up to us tonight by dropping the Wizards.

When you look at the schedule at the start of the season, some games you circle right away - division rivals, the defending champs, games against Kobe or LeBron. Throughout the course of play, some matchups may become more attactive than others and some may become less (like say, any game against the Heat).

Tonight's contest against the Rockets is one of those games. At the start of the season, I wouldn't have had any particular reason to mark this date on the calendar. Yes Houston has Yao and T-Mac, but we haven't had any legendary meetings with them in the last few years, and with both players' injury histories, there was no sure bet either would even be available come mid-March. True to form, Yao is out for the season with a foot injury.

However, as I sit here just a few hours away from tip-off, I cannot wait for tonight's game to start. Why? Because the Rockets are on the verge of history, and the Hawks stand in their way of accomplishing anything.

Only two teams in league history have ever won 20 straight games in a season: the 1971-72 LA Lakers won an incredible 33 games in a row on their way to a then record 69-13 record and an NBA title. The year before, the Lew Alcindor-led Milwaukee Bucks won 20 on the way to a title of their own. Needless to say, the Rockets have a chance to join some pretty rarified company.

The length of Houston's winning streak is impressive enough, but there are facets of it that make it even more impressive. First and foremost, they've won the last seven without the services of Yao, arguably both their best player and the best center in the league. Secondly, they aren't just squeaking by anyone. They've won the past 10 games by double-figures, and an 11th would set a new league record as well.

That's a lot of impressive things the Rockets could pull off with a win - and a lot of things the Hawks could deny them with a loss, which makes tonight's contest much more intriguing than it might otherwise be.

And you know what? I think the Hawks are going to win. I know the team hasn't been playing its best ball of late, and I know these same Rockets beat them by 21 for win #6 of this current run. But if there is one thing we can say, definitively, about the 2007-08 Hawks, it's that they play their best at home against the best of the West. The Lakers, Suns, Mavericks, and Jazz can all attest to that. Even the Warriors, who beat them by 17, would tell you the game was much closer than it looked (it was basically even except for a three-minute stretch of the third).

The Hawks players know how important every game is to them at this point as they cling to a slim half-game lead for the 8th spot, and they also remember very well the loss at Houston. That, plus a chance to spoil the Rockets' party, makes me think they will come out firing tonight and bring home a win.

Another reason I like Atlanta's chances tonight is the return of PG Acie Law. Mike Bibby has been gutting it out on a bad heel since he came over to Atlanta, but has had to go deep minutes every night without a serviceable option behind him (no knock on Salim Stoudamire, who I am happy to see getting minutes, but he is a shooting guard). Law's return gives Bibby a chance to rest more, and if he can return to the form we started to see right before he got hurt, the minutes he can provide will be a positive as well.

I spoke to Law after shootaround today about getting back on the court, and he realizes the pressure the team is under. And even though he is a rookie and lacks NBA experience, I still think his familiarity with late-game heroics will play a role in the Hawks playoff push.

Tonight's game promises to be a good one, and - you heard it here first - a Hawks win.

See you there!

UPDATE: I didn't see this until just now - Tracy McGrady guaranteed a victory tonight. If the Hawks didn't have enough motivation before, that should just about do it.

So, if you are planning to attend the Hawks-Clippers game on Friday (or the Thrashers game against Calgary on Thursday), make sure to budget some extra time into your commute just in case.

It was a tough loss to Orlando last night, but if there was a bright side (so to speak), it's that none of our competition won either, as Sixers and Nets both lost as well.

Several games to watch tonight as the playoff push continues:

Seattle at Indiana
Desired Outcome: If we could see a Seattle win and a poor performance from Durant, that'd make me most happy. Seattle has only won 6 times away from home this season, so I don't anticipate a big upset here, even though Indy is fading fast. This week one of the Pacers' owners came forward to say it was about time to blow things up - not exactly a ringing endorsement of their playoff chances.
Probable Outcome: Indy wins, but it's close.

Milwaukee at Washington
Desired Outcome: Speaking of dead teams walking, Milwaukee is another team looking at potential organizational shakeups come the offseason (Sports Guy for GM?). They have some offensive firepower though, so let's hope for a terrific shooting night from Michael Redd and company. Washington hasn't played incredibly well of late (due mostly to injuries), but even without Caron Butler and Gilbert Arenas they'll probably hang on to win this one at home.
Probable Outcome: The Wizards defend their home court.

Utah at Chicago
Desired Outcome: Chicago continues to be the team I worry the most about. Utah is playing terrific ball right now, having won 5 straight, and the combination of Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer should be more than enough to send the Bulls to a home loss.
Probable Outcome: Chicago is nearly .500 at home, so they could hold serve here, but Utah is a tough match-up for the Bulls right now with Chicago's lack of frontcourt strength. Give this one to the Jazz.

The Hawks will have to work hard to figure out what's ailing their defense, as the Rockets come to town tomorrow on a bit of a roll, if you haven't heard.

By the way, congrats to Jeremy Richardson, who the Hawks signed on for the rest of the season after two consecutive 10-day contracts. He has had a few nice moments off the bench for Atlanta over the last few weeks, so hopefully he can keep that coming now that his spot is secure.

Onto the links:

The team may have struggled last week, but at the end of the day, the Hawks are in the playoffs right now and that's all that matters.

Onto the links:

In the end, the only thing that really changed was the final score.

The Heat had the ball to restart, but Mark Blount missed a shot inside that would have given Miami a chance to get within a point. The Hawks ran the clock down inside 15 seconds on the ensuing possession but failed to score, giving Miami one last chance to tie the game. Dwyane Wade had a look at a three-pointer from the corner, but it caromed off and into the waiting hands of Joe Johnson, who dribbled out the final few seconds to preserve the victory.

I don't know - I guess more hijinx would have been interesting to see, but for a team desperately in need of some activity in the win column I will take the result.

The teams went back into the locker room directly after the conclusion, and are now preparing for the regularly scheduled game to begin momentarily.

Let's get two!

This is a huge weekend for the Hawks - probably the most important of the season, if you ask me. Yes, the Hawks could lose any of the three games they have and still have a shot at a playoff berth. But at some point, this team has to start moving forward and stop assuming their competition will continue to slide backwards (even though they continue to oblige).

If you have read this blog in the past, you know one of my goals for this team this season was to win the season series with the Bobcats, something the team had failed to accomplish the last three years. The Hawks won the first two at Philips, but then gave away a chance to clinch it with a loss in Charlotte right before the All-Star break. Tonight Atlanta and Charlotte finish their season series, and for those that think it should be an easy win for the Hawks, think again. The Bobcats have won three straight, and a win tonight would match the franchise record for consecutive W's. This will be a motivated Charlotte team, no doubt.

Having said that, it is still a game the Hawks can and should win, provided they play to their capacity. With tomorrow night's Miami double-dip, there is a chance for some real movement in the standings this weekend. Three wins added to our ledger would look pretty nice come Monday morning.

It's time to start moving forward, and tonight is as good a night as any to get it going.

As is usual for a Friday night with a full schedule in the NBA, there are a bunch of games worth paying attention to tonight in the Eastern Conference playoff race.

Washington at Toronto
Desired Outcome: Toronto can help us out with a win here. I still think the Wizards have a bigger slide ahead of them if Arenas and Butler remain out, but I give them credit for persevering so far. Toronto has slid a bit of late, but recovered with a nice 25-point win at Miami on Wednesday.
Probable Outcome: Raptors breeze at home

Seattle at Philadelphia
Desired Outcome: The Sonics have been easy pickings for most teams this season, and Philly is a bit on a roll. This one doesn't look good, but maybe Kevin Durant and company will get hot and surprise everyone with a win.
Probable Outcome: Philly wins their eighth-straight at home

Chicago at Boston
Desired Outcome: The Celtics just clinched a playoff berth with their win over the Pistons on Wednesday, and it'd be nice to see them avoid a momentary slip in focus. With Kevin Garnett in charge, I don't think that will be much of an issue for them. Chicago got a win last night against the Cavs, but should be tired on the second night of a back-to-back.
Probable Outcome: Celtics keep it rollin.

New Jersey at New Orleans
Desired Outcome: The Hornets beat the Hawks pretty handily on Wednesday behind a barrage of three-pointers. It would be great to see them continue that kind of hot shooting as they take on the team most directly in front of the Hawks in the Eastern Conference race. The Nets got a nice win in Devin Harris' debut but have struggled since, losing three straight. A win by the Hawks plus a loss here for New Jersey puts the Hawks back into a tie for 8th.
Probable Outcome: Hornets win easy in the Big Easy.

Link time:

Only two games of substance on the schedule for tonight.

Cleveland at Chicago
Desired Outcome: Cleveland in on a back-to-back having dropped the Knicks last night behind LeBron's 50-spot, so that may make it tough for them going into Chicago. However, so many players changed hands between these two teams at the deadline, I think there will be plenty of motivation to go around. Ben Wallace - it's your time to prove your Chicago haters wrong.

Indiana at San Antonio
Desired Outcome: The Spurs continue to roll, having won 10 straight. Indy should be tired after last night's loss in Houston. Advantage: Spurs.

The competition didn't fare any better last night, as the Pacers, Nets, and Wizards all lost their games as well. I still say we are set up to make a nice little move this weekend if we can take care of business against Charlotte and Miami.

Onto the links...

Before this season started, I think everyone's hopes were that the Hawks would be a playoff team. If for some reason the team were to fall short of that goal (godforbid), the next step down on the ladder was to at least be playing meaningful basketball until late into the season if not the very end.

Well friends, it ain't over yet, but I think it's safe to say the latter will certainly be true if not the former. With 25 games remaining (24.5 + the Heat restart), the Hawks are currently one game out of the 8th spot in the Eastern Conference, 2 games out of 7th, and 4 games out of 6th. All three of those spots are in play for Atlanta.

Looking at the various schedules for each of the teams we are competing against for those spots, I see a decided advantage for the Hawks. Take a look at what everyone faces the rest of the month of March:

Washington (29-30 overall):
8 games (3 home, 5 away) against teams with winning records, 7 (4 home, 3 away) against losing teams.

Philadelphia (28-33):
8 against teams over .500 (H:4, A:4) and 5 against teams under(H:3, A:2).

New Jersey (26-33):
8 against winners (H:4, A:4), 7 against losers (H:2, A:5).

Indiana (24-36):
6 teams over (H:1, A:5), 8 under (H:6, A:2)

Chicago (23-36):
6 teams over (H:3, A:3) and 8 teams under (H:6, A:2)

As for Atlanta? The Hawks play only 5 teams with winning records the rest of March, compared to a whopping 12 against teams currently under .500. That's quite a difference. Of the games against winning teams, 3 are at home against 2 on the road, while against losing teams there are 6 each at home and away.

The Hawks are in this thing, and have a very real shot at making a pretty nice move over the next few weeks if they play to the level they are capable.

It begins tonight with Golden State, one of the five winning teams on the slate and a team the Hawks beat on the road a couple weeks ago. They are a team Atlanta matches up well against, as they like to play at a fast pace and lack the interior presence to give the Hawks matchup problems.

You wanted meaningful games? We've got a ton of them over the season's final 6 1/2 weeks. Make sure to check the BasketBlog the rest of the way out as we begin tracking which games you need to pay attention to each night as we head towards the finish line.

Games To Watch Tonight:

Bulls vs Grizzlies
Desired outcome: A Memphis win would be nice, but in their post-Gasol world, I wouldn't expect too much. Should be a win for Chicago, but an upset would be great.

Nets at Spurs
Desired outcome: The Spurs are streaking, having won nine straight, including a win Sunday over the very same Nets they face tonight in San Antonio. Tim Duncan and company have 10 straight wins over New Jersey, and I don't see that changing tonight.

Steve Smith and I discussed this a bit today during the BasketBlog Weekly Podcast, that the NBA had yet to rule on who would be eligible for Saturday's Hawks-Heat replay.

With four players traded away from the Hawks roster (and additions on both sides), we wondered if the Hawks would even have enough active, healthy bodies to field a team for the final 51.9.

Well, wonder no more. The NBA announced today the stipulations for Saturday night's replay, and to be honest, it's a bit difficult to read. It took me three or four passes to get through all of the finer points, but fortunately for you, I can summarize.

Here is what you need to know:

• Just to refresh everyone on the game situation, the Hawks lead 114-11 with 51.9 seconds remaining in overtime. Ball possession belongs to the Heat underneath their own basket.
• The NBA is insisting that each team get as close to 12 active roster spots as possible, and as such all newly-acquired players are eligible. Therefore, plan on seeing Mike Bibby and Shawn Marion on the court for the final minute of action. In addition, any players who were originally inactive on Dec. 19 are also available, which means that Josh Childress, who sat out the original game with a groin injury, is game as well. In fact, the only Hawks player precluded from participation is Josh Smith, who fouled out of the original game.
• The officials assigned to the regularly scheduled game for Mar. 8 will referee the restart, not the original game's officials. Any crossover between crews is coincidental, and the new crew will be briefed on the game summary (team fouls, timeouts, etc) beforehand.
• For those planning to attend the double-header, the restart will begin at 7:05 ET. Once it ends, there will be a 15-minute intermission for warm-ups and intros before the second game tips-off.

I know there will be some uproar about new players being allowed to participate, but quite frankly, I think it benefits us more than the Heat. Not only do we get Mike Bibby to control the ball and provide late-game offense if needed, but we also get Josh Childress as well, he of the 83% free throw shooting. Yes Shawn Marion is an All-Star caliber player and a much better option than the man he replaces, Shaquille O'Neal, but he isn't much of a shooter from distance and in the limited amount of time left on the clock I don't see him making the difference between winning and losing.

Let's be honest - we all know how this game will play out, regardless of the recasting of the episode. Dwyane Wade will get the ball and try to make something happen, and his ability to do so versus the Hawks' ability to defend it (plus their ability to make free throws) will determine whether or not the Hawks put the game to rest.

Any questions about the game? Let me know in the comments and I'll do my best to elaborate...

This just in: I think Al Horford should win NBA Rookie of the Year. Nothing he has done of late dissuades me from this notion, as he continues to pile up double-doubles against some of the best frontlines in the NBA (witness last night's 14 and 11 against Kevin Garnett and the Celtics).

The NBA helped his cause a bit today, naming Horford Rookie of the Month for February on Monday, the second time Big Al has taken home the honor this season.

Let's take a quick glance at some of Horford's performances in February:

- 15 points, 20 rebounds in a win over the Lakers on Feb. 6 (the first 20-rebound performance for a Hawk since Alan Henderson in 2002)
- a career-high 20 points to go with 11 rebounds in a win over the Knicks on Feb. 29
- 12 points, 13 boards against the defending champion Spurs on Feb. 25

Not that it counts officially, but he also put up 19 points and 7 boards in the Rookie-Sophomore game during All-Star Weekend as well.

I talked to Steve Smith today in the BasketBlog Weekly Podcast, and he said this is usually the time of year when rookies begin to hit the proverbial wall (most college players participate in 30-40 games a season and rarely more than two in a given week). So far, Horford seems to be unaffected, with an active streak of four-straight double-doubles going into Tuesday night's game against Golden State.

Horford is the man, and as the Hawks continue to be players in the Eastern Conference playoff race, I think he will garner more and more attention for his performance.

Congrats again to Horford for the award, and here's to adding some more hardware to his mantle before all is said and done.

This promises to be a big week for Atlanta, with 4.5 games on the schedule.

That's right! The re-do of the Heat game is finally here! We'll have more on that this week, but for now, let's move on to the links from the weekend:

What did I write in the preview for today's game?

"As the Al Horford for Rookie of the Year campaign builds steam, tonight presents a chance for him to add to his streak of double-doubles (in it's infancy at two) as he faces off against Eddy Curry and Zach Randolph, neither of whom you'll see on many All-Defensive teams at year's end. If he can stay out of foul trouble (which actually will be tough, as both aforementioned players are terrific offensively), I am going to go out on a limb and say he nets a career-high in points tonight."

Say, what did Al do tonight? What's that? He had another double-double and a career-high 20 points?

You don't say!

A nice win for Atlanta, and it makes two straight as they prepare to head to Boston to take on the Celtics on Sunday.