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20 games left to play. The playoffs are pretty much a given. The fight from now
until the end of the season will be for positioning, and in particular, can the
Hawks hang on to the fourth position they've held onto for most of the season.
The next stretch of 10 figures to make or break those chances. Let's take a
look.
Looking Back: If We Survive This, We're Golden
Home games: Miami, Cleveland
Road games: LA Lakers, Sacramento, Portland, Utah, Denver,
Washington, New York, Charlotte
What happened: A rough stretch for the Hawks. The trip out
West was brutal as always, and the last-second loss to the Cavs really seemed to
take the wind out of the team's sails. The win over the Heat was the biggest
bright spot, as it clinched at least a tie in the season series (which could
come into play down the stretch - the Heat sit just .5 games behind the Hawks as
of today).
Injury report: Mike Bibby missed all of one game with the
flu, but he wasn't the only one affected. Several teammates caught the bug as
well, but no one else was forced to miss any time.
In Summary: The Hawks went 3-7, getting wins at Sacramento
and Washington as well as the home game against the Heat. Going 1-4 out West
hurt but was somewhat unsurprising given the competition faced, but going 2-3
over the second part of the period took away much of the team's breathing room
for the 4th spot. They'll have to make up for it going forward.
Looking Ahead: The Homestand, Part II
Home games: Detroit, New Orleans, Utah, Indiana, Portland,
Sacramento, Dallas, Minnesota, San Antonio
Road games: Cleveland
Expectations going in: This is the second time this season
we've seen the Hawks play a ridiculous stretch of home games in a row, and this
one couldn't have come at a better time. 9 of the next 10 games will be played
within the friendly confines of Philips Arena, where the Hawks are 20-7 on the
season. Make no mistake though, this will be no cakewalk. 7 of the 10 teams are
playoff-bound squads, almost all of them with legitimate title aspirations. The
key will be getting off to a good start against the Pistons, which not only will
snap a two-game losing streak but could also set the tone for the homestand in
the same way the win over Cleveland kicked off a 7-1 homestand back in December.
Predicted Record: The Hawks are a .500 team since starting
the season 6-0, but win roughly 75% of the time at home. Even with the stiff
competition coming to town and the team's recent slump, I still expect
them to win more than they lose. Losses against any of Indiana, Sacramento, or
Minnesota would be very hurtful to the team's bid for homecourt advantage. I say
they get all 3, and add Detroit (earning a season-sweep), New Orleans (ditto),
and Dallas as well. At Cleveland is probably too much to ask, and tough,
physical teams like Utah and San Antonio always seem to give the Hawks fits. I'd
love to get one against Portland, but they seem to have our number lately.
Call it 6-4, with the hope that the team catches fire at home like
they did in December.
What are your predictions?
