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.