Make no mistake - today's win over the Lakers was as important as any the Hawks have had the entire season to this point.

With two straight stinging losses at home at the hands of the Spurs and Celtics (and short-handed Spurs and Celtics at that), and in the midst of a daunting stretch that will see the team go on the road to Philly and Boston before hosting the Magic, the Hawks needed something positive to happen. They needed to make something positive happen, especially with Miami and Philly still capable of making a run at them for the 4 spot. Everyone is confident the team will indeed hold on to that seed and the home-court advantage that comes with it, but if the lead starts shrinking...well, let's not even worry about it.

The Hawks came up with a gem today in front of the largest regular season crowd in Philips Arena history, as 20,148 came to see the home team battle the Best of the West. That they won is sweet in and of itself, that they won with all of the Kobe lovers in the building trying in vain to give the visitors an edge is all the better.

I know the Hawks bench players have answered their critics already this season and don't need validation anymore, but their handprint was all over this victory and they deserve recognition (I lump Mo Evans in here today, even though he's been starting in Marvin Williams' absence). Zaza, Mo, and Flip were huge today - I wrote this in Everything You Need To Know, but you gotta like any Hawks win where Joe, Josh, and Al combine to shoot 8-35, let alone a win over the most dynamic offensive team in the league.

And then there's that - the Lakers are an offensive juggernaut. They average 107.9 ppg (3rd best in the league behind Phoenix and Golden State), and they don't get there by jacking a bunch of shots and not playing any defense. They are the second most efficient offensive team in the league. Can you guess how many times the Lakers have scored less than 90 points this season before today? Twice. Once in an 89-87 loss to Miami, and once in a 90-79 loss to Denver - I'd say there's a pattern there, but I'm not sure you can call something that happens 3 times in 73 games a pattern). Holding the Lakers to a season-low 76 points is an achievement, and a reminder that when this Hawks team really D's it up, there is no opponent in the league they can't beat.

Congrats to the guys on a win that hopefully will springboard the team towards that final push they need to secure the home court.