Atlanta Hawks Clinch Playoff Berth After Best 60-Game Start in Franchise History
Matt Fitzgerald@@MattFitz_gerald
Correspondent IIIMarch 4, 2015
The Atlanta Hawks became the first team this season to clinch a playoff berth with Tuesday's 104-96 victory over the Houston Rockets.
The Hawks' official Twitter account changed its name to "WE'RE IN!" to celebrate the occasion while reporting the news:
NBA TV referenced the historic start Atlanta is off to in soaring and staying perched atop the Eastern Conference standings in 2014-15:
Former NBA star Chris Webber elaborated on the unique circumstances surrounding this Hawks squad, via Turner Sports PR:
Despite the lack of a superstar presence, Atlanta has all the makings of a legitimate championship contender. The Hawks drove this notion home in Tuesday's win at Philips Arena, as the hosts humbled Houston in outscoring the Rockets 32-15 in the fourth quarter.
Per NBA.com, coach Mike Budenholzer's team ranks sixth in the Association in offensive efficiency and tied for third defensively, yielding just 99.8 points per 100 possessions.
That latter statistical deadlock was with none other than the reigning Larry O'Brien Trophy bearers, the San Antonio Spurs. Budenholzer was a Spurs assistant beginning in 1996 until he took the Hawks job prior to last season.
With all the talk about how the Western Conference is superior—albeit with plenty of sound logic—SportsCenter has an interesting anecdote about Atlanta's success against the West:
This proves that the Hawks are for real to be succinct and simplistic. No matter who has lined up against them, most have met defeat. Some wouldn't have even considered Atlanta near the best in the East prior to the beginning of the season, but that mindset has certainly changed.
The Hawks' NBA market may not be as big. They aren't the flashiest bunch to ever grace the hardwood. All Atlanta does is win, though—and that's the ultimate goal, well-deserving of a ton of attention.
It's a long road for Budenholzer's bunch to go before it can truly dream of an NBA Finals appearance. The regular season is only the beginning. So far, these Hawks should have no reason to believe they can't best everyone even when the postseason rolls around.