Hawks back in the sixth seed and will look to keep rising

It all began with a convincing win over the Magic last Monday that continued the positioning shake-up between seeds five through 10. In downing the Magic, 124-112, the Hawks secured the head-to-head tiebreaker in the regular-season series, as well as improved their divisional record.

The Hawks played the Magic physically, forcing them off their spots and holding them to 50 points in the first half.

Then the Hawks carried that momentum into Dallas, picking up another blowout win over the Mavericks. The Hawks came out with energy in the second half, holding the Mavs to just 26 points in the third quarter.

But the Rockets tripped up the Hawks on Friday, handing them their first loss since Feb. 20.

The Hawks didn’t play with the physicality that allowed them to generate extra possessions. The Rockets bullied them and scored at will and the Hawks’ lack of defensive effort spilled onto the offense. They scored fewer than 100 points for the first time since their loss to the Heat in February.

But the Hawks bounced back and downed the shorthanded Warriors on the second night of a back-to-back. Similar to their previous wins, the Hawks ramped up their defense in the second half and it opened up the game.

The Hawks are now the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference following their win, as well as the Magic’s and Heat’s losses. They sit just one game behind the Raptors for fifth place and hold the tiebreaker over the 76ers, who have the same record and sit in the seventh spot.

Up ahead

The Hawks have one of the hardest remaining schedules and the hardest of the teams currently seeded fifth through 10th. While their outing against the Rockets left much to be desired, the Hawks have shown that they can compete with the top teams this season.

This week, the Hawks have matchups against the top two teams in the Eastern Conference, as well as games against teams that have shut down most of their top players for the season.

Monday vs. Grizzlies

The Grizzlies have lost seven of their last eight games and have struggled on both sides of the ball. They turned the page at the trade deadline in February, dealing several of their once foundational pieces. Franchise star Ja Morant has not played since the Hawks’ trip to Memphis in January and several other top players have been nursing bumps and bruises.

Wednesday at Pistons

The Hawks have not found a way to beat the Pistons this season, trailing 2-0 in the regular-season series. The Pistons already have clinched their spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs after beating the Warriors on Friday.

The Pistons don’t have All-Star guard Cade Cunningham, who has been ruled out for at least two weeks with a mild left lung pneumothorax (collapsed lung).

The Hawks still have their hands full with All-Star center Jalen Duren, as well as the depth the Pistons have up and down the roster.

Friday at Celtics

The Hawks’ challenge continues with a meeting with the Celtics, who rank second in the East. The Celtics recently saw the return of Jayson Tatum and have been rolling with the All-Star forward back in the mix.

Leading into Sunday, the Celtics had won six of their last eight games, including four straight. They had already mathematically clinched a spot in the postseason. They lost to the Timberwolves on Sunday.

The Celtics, though, have a couple of players nursing injuries. Center Nikola Vucevic is expected to miss several weeks after having surgery to stabilize a fractured finger. Jaylen Brown dealt with a quad contusion before Sunday’s game.

Saturday vs. Kings

The Kings have shut down many of their veterans, such as Domantas Sabonis and Zach LaVine, while several other key rotational players have been unable to suit up because of injuries.

So, the Hawks will look to limit the Kings, who average 113.7 points per 100 possessions.