The Atlanta Hawks are back in the playoff bracket without having to survive the play-in tournament, and that matters more than seeding. By winning the Southeast Division, the Hawks earned the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference and will face the No. 3 New York Knicks in the first round.
Game 1 tips off Saturday, April 18 at Madison Square Garden at 6 p.m. The Hawks will host Games 3 and 4 at State Farm Arena, with tickets already on presale. The rest of the first-round schedule will be released later this week.
The last time the Hawks avoided the play-in was 2021, when they rode a hot streak all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals. Whether this team has that kind of run in it remains to be seen, but the regular season finish, including a division title, suggests this Hawks squad has more staying power than recent iterations.
