The Atlanta Hawks are firmly in the postseason mix in the Eastern Conference, posting a 27-32 record through more than 70 percent of the 2024-25 NBA season.
At present, the Hawks occupy the No. 9 spot in the conference hierarchy, though Atlanta is notably closer to the No. 7 and No. 8 spots than to the ongoing battle for the No. 10 spot. Quin Snyder's team has stumbled out of the gate after the All-Star break, however, and that includes a night to forget in Miami.
A woeful performance by the Hawks in Miami
At halftime on Wednesday evening, the Hawks and Miami Heat were tied at Kaseya Center. Then, the floodgates opened for Atlanta, and not in the way the team would have preferred. The Hawks were outscored by a 66-44 margin in the second half, including a decisive 26-6 run by the Heat at the end of the third period that stretched into the start of the fourth.
Ironically for a team that has improved greatly on defense this season, the bottom truly fell out for Atlanta on that end of the floor. The Hawks had their worst defensive performance of the season by the numbers, allowing nearly 1.4 points per possession. That included the best shooting night of the year for the Heat, with Miami connecting on nearly 55 percent of three-pointers on the way to 74.3 percent eFG and 76.4 percent TS in the game.
The Hawks did put together three competent quarters on offense, racking up more than 1.2 points per possession until the fourth period. Still, Atlanta then floundered in its comeback attempt, putting up only 16 points in the closing quarter and shrinking to a 22-point loss.
The first 8 games after the Trade Deadline
The Trade Deadline came and went on Thursday, Feb. 6, and the Hawks were quite active. In the end, Atlanta swapped De'Andre Hunter and Bogdan Bogdanovic for Caris LeVert, Terance Mann, and Georges Niang, and the Hawks did improve their depth in the meantime. While the jury is still out on the moves, especially given the reality that Atlanta is missing its second-best player in Jalen Johnson, the Hawks are 4-4 since the deadline.
In that sample, the Hawks have only one lopsided loss, which came against Miami on Wednesday. Atlanta also has notable wins over Milwaukee, Orlando, and Miami, with a one-point overtime loss to New York and 50-50 games that went the wrong way against Orlando and Detroit. Though this eight-game stretch occupies only approximately 10 percent of the season, the results are at least somewhat encouraging, as the Hawks have out-scored their opponents overall, even amid ongoing injury concerns.
The Thunder visit Atlanta for the only time in 2024-25
On Sunday, Oct. 27, the Hawks fell victim to the Oklahoma City Thunder by a 128-104 final score on the road. On Friday, Feb. 28, Atlanta finally gets its chance to even the score against the best team in the Western Conference and, this time, the venue that will host the matchup is State Farm Arena.
By virtue of being in the West, the Thunder make only one annual visit to Atlanta, and Oklahoma City is must-see TV in 2024-25. The Thunder arrive with a 47-11 record and the NBA's best net rating, out-scoring opponents by 12.6 points per 100 possessions. Oklahoma City is a top-five team on the offensive end, but the Thunder are truly elite on defense.
The Thunder sit atop the NBA in defensive efficiency, allowing 105.3 points per 100 possessions this season. They own a comfortable lead over the rest of the field, and Oklahoma City leads the NBA in opponent effective field goal percentage (50.6 percent) and turnover creation rate (17.8 percent). Needless to say, the Hawks will have their work cut out for them as they attempt to secure their 28th victory in the first 60 games.