Looking Back: Going West, Part I
Home games: Houston, Orlando, Philly, Toronto, Milwaukee
Road games: Orlando, Phoenix, LA Clippers, Golden State, Chicago

What happened: This wasn't the finest stretch of the season for the Hawks, though they did rally nicely towards the end. Some of that can be attributed to injuries, which cost them Al Horford for most of the stretch and Marvin Williams for three games (and Acie Law as well). The home loss to the Magic seemed to really affect the team, as they rallied from a 21-point fourth quarter deficit only to fall in the final minute. The resulting blitz at Orlando was probably the worst loss of the season, and the after effects lingered through a home loss to Philly and then a loss at Phoenix. Something happened at the end of that Suns game though that I think may end up being a defining moment of this season. Josh Smith missed an ill-advised jumper towards the end, but as a result it appears a light-bulb went off in his head, because ever since he's been taking his game down into the paint where he's been nearly unstoppable. The Hawks got a win over the JV Clippers in LA, then unfortunately caught the Warriors on a hot shooting night and fell there to go 1-2 on their West Coast swing. Just when it seemed like things were starting to go awry, the team rallied behind Smoove and point guard Mike Bibby, reeling off three straight wins to end the ten-game stretch. Included was a win over the Bulls in Chicago, which gave the Hawks a season-sweep over them for the first time in franchise history, and saw Bibby pop for a season-high 31 points.

Injury report: Al Horford suffered a bone bruise in his knee at Orlando and has been out ever since. There has been no timetable set for his return, but hopefully it will be sooner rather than later. Marvin Williams took a blow to the head from Ronny Turiaf in the Warriors game, and the resulting concussion saw him miss the rest of that game and two more to boot (he returned against the Bucks). Acie Law suffered a thigh contusion against Toronto, causing him to miss the last two games as well.

In Summary: I predicted 7-3, the team went 5-5. Given the injuries and the way the team played over the last few games, I'll take it. Even if the Hawks make it to 50 wins, there are still going to be stretches where things don't go right at times. This was one of those stretches, but the team persevered nevertheless. The blowout win over Milwaukee was particularly nice, giving the Hawks starters a chance to sit the entire fourth quarter for the first time this season and allowing minutes for guys like Othello Hunter, Randolph Morris, and Mario West.

Looking Ahead: Countdown To All-Star Weekend
Home games: Phoenix, New Jersey, LA Clippers, Washington
Road games: Miami, New York, Milwaukee, Minnesota, Charlotte, Detroit

Expectations going in: The Hawks set a goal of 50 wins before the season started. At the halfway point in the season, the team was 25-16, literally halfway to a 50-32 record. If they want to achieve their aims, this first stretch of games will be critical. Look at the list of opponents - there isn't a single one that, in theory, the Hawks couldn't beat. Or, put differently, I'd argue the Hawks are more talented than every opponent on the list. A good performance here could really catapult Atlanta into prime position to snag a home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs, and give the team some cushion as the schedule gets harder after the All-Star break (and believe me, it does). Six of these games are on the road, so how well the team takes advantage of this slate will rest heavily on their ability to play well away from Philips Arena. Getting Al Horford back would be very helpful (though Zaza Pachulia has acquitted himself very well in Horford's absence).

Predicted Record: The Hawks nearly beat Phoenix on the road, and I think they'll get revenge at home. The same goes for New Jersey, a team they are 0-3 against this season. The Clippers and Wizards should be easy pickings. On the road, I think the team needs to go 3-3 at a minimum, but I think 4-2 is within reach. I'll be conservative and say they lose at Miami, Charlotte (the Bobcats are playing well of late and always give the Hawks fits on their turf), and Detroit, and get wins at New York, Milwaukee, and Minnesota.

I hate to sound like a broken record always predicting 7-3, but that's what I see happening. Hit that, and the Hawks are 33-19 at the All-Star break, and just four wins away from matching their total from a year ago.

What are your predictions?