High-flying Atlanta Hawks set sights on NBA championship

Jay Asser 08:57 29/03/2015
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  • Not done yet: Carroll (l) said the Hawks are targeting the NBA championship.

    The Atlanta Hawks’ stellar regular season has been validated with the top seed in the Eastern Conference. The question now is, can they accomplish more? With their 99-86 win against the Miami Heat on Friday, the Hawks clinched first place in the East for just the second time in franchise history.

    Atlanta’s unexpected rise to a contender comes after the team snuck into the playoffs last year as the eighth seed with a losing record of 38-44. Expectations were tempered by those outside of the franchise coming into the season, but the Hawks now find themselves in search of a much more significant prize.

    “It’s a great accomplishment. I think we believed in ourselves at the beginning of the year, but there probably weren’t a lot of other people that thought we’d be here,” Atlanta’s Kyle Korver said.

    “Obviously there’s a lot more we want to do and accomplish. So we’ll try to keep it in perspective, but at the same time, it’s a great accomplishment for our group.”

    Forward DeMarre Carroll added: “It just shows the growth of this team. At the same time, we can’t get comfortable. We have bigger goals and an NBA championship would be way better than just clinching the Eastern Conference.”

    While the Hawks have been one of the two best teams all season – along with the Western Conference-leading Golden State Warriors – they still have plenty to prove.Miami Heat were thwarted by Hawks on Friday evening.

    There’s reason to be sceptical when looking at the Hawks’ playoff history. Atlanta have suffered a first-round exit in each of the last three postseasons and haven’t advanced past the conference semifinals since the NBA introduced conferences in 1970.

    For all that the Hawks have done this season, the playoffs will determine whether Atlanta really are title challengers.

    “They’re a good team,” Miami star Dwyane Wade said. “I haven’t seen them in a playoff atmosphere together, so I don’t know if they’re a contender or not. But as far as the regular season, they’re a good team. There’s just no way around it. Everything else is yet to be seen.”

    With home-court advantage secured – the Hawks are 31-5 at Philips Arena – and nothing else left to clinch in the regular season, the final weeks will be played out with an eye on preparation for the playoffs.

    Atlanta coach Mike Budenholzer will try to give some rest to his players, especially the starters, while not compromising their rhythm or form. “It’s a great debate,” Budenholzer said.

    Though the Hawks might not directly benefit from winning many more games, they’ll potentially have a say in who they could meet in the playoffs. Including the match-up with Charlotte last night, Atlanta have eight games against opponents who are either currently slated to make the postseason or fighting for the final seed.

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