Approximately 80 percent of the 2024-25 season is over for the Atlanta Hawks. That leaves the team with 16 regular season games remaining, and Atlanta occupies the No. 7 spot in the Eastern Conference as the stretch run looms.
While every game counts in pursuit of playoff positioning, four remaining games stand out above the rest for Quin Snyder's team. Let's dive into those matchups and while they hold additional weight for the Hawks in late March and April.
Thursday, March 27 @ Miami Heat
This is the first of three remaining head-to-head matchups against division rivals that could help to decide the pecking order of the Eastern Conference Play-In. The Hawks, Orlando Magic, and Miami Heat are locked in a three-way battle, both for the division and the likelihood that the winner will occupy the No. 7 spot when the Play-In begins in mid-April.
Atlanta and Miami split a pair of matchups in late February, leaving the Hawks with a 2-1 season series advantage. As such, the Hawks can clinch the head-to-head tiebreaker with a victory, putting a bit of extra emphasis on this matchup.
Sunday, March 30 @ Milwaukee Bucks
As of mid-March, the Hawks still have a chance, albeit a small one, to leap into the top six of the Eastern Conference and avoid the Play-In Tournament entirely. The most likely way for Atlanta to do that may be to jump either the Indiana Pacers or Detroit Pistons, but the Hawks don't face either Indiana or Detroit again in 2024-25. However, the Bucks are on the schedule and, given Milwaukee's narrow proximity to Indiana and Detroit in the standings, they make the cut as something of a "Wild Card" selection here.
To be clear, this is probably going to be the least consequential of the four games included on this list. It may be "just another game" if the Hawks show that they are not capable of crashing the top-six party. But, hey, it would be a boring list with only games against Miami and Orlando.
Tuesday, April 8 @ Orlando Magic
Atlanta and Orlando meet only twice in the first 78 games, setting up a pair of matchups over the season's final week (see below). There are myriad implications here, ranging from the season series (tied at 1-1) to direct battles for playoff positioning. If there was one single game to circle on the remaining schedule, it might be this one, simply because it is very late in the season, but also not late enough to (likely) render it meaningless due to previous results.
For kicks, the Hawks and Magic have a point differential of 0 against each other in the first two meetings. This one will probably be close.
Regular Season Finale — Sunday, April 13 vs. Orlando Magic
The potential importance of this matchup comes with caveats. As any seasoned NBA fan likely knows, the final game of the regular season can sometimes be quite weird and/or wholly irrelevant. Sometimes, things are clinched on all sides, leaving teams to navigate the final 48 minutes of the campaign without utilizing their top players or with conflicting motivations.
As such, this might be an errant choice but, at this early juncture, it simply has to be on the list. The Hawks and Magic could be battling for the Southeast Division title and the No. 7 seed all the way to Game 82, and it is fitting that the two teams will meet in the finale. Of course, the Miami Heat could have their say as well, but this matchup has to be included for its potential intrigue.