ATLANTA -- Directing the biggest surprise of the NBA season's first half has landed Mike Budenholzer in the All-Star Game.
The Hawks coach, along with his staff, secured that honor with Wednesday's 110-91 victory over the Pacers -- which was also Atlanta's franchise record-tying 14th straight -- moving them to 35-8.
Atlanta now holds a six-game lead over the Wizards for first place in the Eastern Conference with five to play before Feb. 1. That is the NBA's cutoff date to determine the All-Star Game's coaches based upon the best record.
Based on the current standings, Budenholzer would be opposed by the Warriors' Steve Kerr on the Western Conference bench in the Feb. 15 game at Madison Square Garden.
"It's a credit to our players, our front office and our entire organization. I really feel strongly about our assistant coaches; I think they do an amazing job," Budenholzer said. "It's a great honor but it's our players that put us in this position. It's the players that deserve the credit."
But it remains to be seen if the Atlanta coach will be joined by any of his players.
Not one Hawk was in the top 10 in voting in the latest returns, with Paul Millsap the highest in 13th among frontcourt players, while Al Horford was 15th.
Still, Atlanta boasts the league's most potent 3-point shooter in Kyle Korver, who leads with 128 and is second in free-throw percentage (98.5); point guard Jeff Teague is seventh in assists (7.3) and 11th in PER (22.6); Millsap is averaging 16.9 point and 7.9 rebounds and is second in Defensive Win Shares (2.7) and since Dec. 8, Horford is pouring in 17.3 points and grabbing 7.0 rebounds.
Balloting concluded Jan. 19 and starters will be announced Thursday, Jan. 22. Reserves, which are voted upon by each conference's coaches -- they are not allowed to include their own players -- will be announced on Jan. 29.
When asked ahead of Wednesday's game who he thought the Hawks' representation should be, Indiana coach Frank Vogel discloses how he expected to vote, but first needed clarification.
"All-Star?" Vogel said, putting the emphasis on the singular tense. "Horford, Millsap and Teague ... and maybe Korver. "I think they have three for sure."
What they have for certain is their coach heading to New York, along with one of his assistants, who will coach in the Rising Stars Challenge, while Korver will participate in the Three-Point Shootout.
Budenholzer, who is in his second year as Hawks coach, is the team's fourth coach since its move to Atlanta to be on the bench for the All-Star Game. Lenny Wilkens did so in 1994, with Mike Fratello in '88 and Richie Guerin in 1969 and '70 when the team was then in the West.
"Very happy for him. Bud has done an incredible job these last couple of years gaining the respect of the locker room," said Korver. "Guys love playing here; they love playing for him."
The Hawks also had four straight All-Star Game coaches from 1958-61 when they located in St. Louis, with Alex Hannum, Ed Maccauley and Paul Seymour. Maccauley earned the nod twice.
The eighth seed a year ago in the East when it went 38-44, Atlanta's stunning season has included winning 27 of their last 29 games and 12 in a row on the road.
Follow Cory McCartney on Twitter @coryjmccartney
