Short-handed Hawks face tough stretch vs. Warriors, West playoff teams
The broad stokes storyline remains unchanged with the Hawks and Warriors.
Atlanta continues to lead the Eastern Conference; Golden State holds the top spot in the Western Conference, just as they did when they met in the Hawks' 124-116 win in a Feb. 6 epic at Philips Arena.
But the Hawks now find themselves short handed and down the player who gives them the best chance of neutralizing what the Warriors' Stephen Curry can do from distance.
Kyle Korver, the league' most accurate 3-point shooter at 50.1 percent, hit five treys in the Hawks' February win over the Warriors. He's out Wednesday and for at least three games in all after breaking his nose on Sunday against the Lakers.
He joins reserve forward Mike Scott, who is out six weeks with a broken toe on his left foot, and wing Thabo Sefolosha, who has been out with a strained right calf since Jan. 30.
Sefolosha had been projected to return by mid-March, an addition that would be well timed by happening on this road trip. After the Warriors, the Hawks head to Oklahoma City on Friday before taking on the Spurs on Sunday at home.
It's a stretch that stands as the toughest remaining in the regular season, but at its worst it can only delay the inevitable.
Up 11 games in the East with 15 to play, the Hawks' magic number sits one to win the Southeast Division and three to clinch the top spot and home-court advantage throughout the playoffs. Simply put, Atlanta doesn't need a win at Golden State to legitimize its season and it doesn't need to beat the Thunder or San Antonio, either.
But at 53-14, the Hawks can build a resume that recent history shows foreshadows a deep playoff run.
Atlanta is five wins from breaking the franchise record for wins in a season -- it won 57 in 1986-87 and '93-94, both teams that starred Dominique Wilkins -- but its become the first Hawks to win 60 games that carries serious weight.
Over the last 20 seasons, 33 teams have won 60 or more games, with 23 of them reaching the conference finals. Of that group, 13 reached the Finals, with nine ending their year hoisting the Larry O'Brien Trophy.
On the flip side, we are just four years removed from the 61-win Spurs being knocked out in six games by the Grizzlies and in '07 the Mavericks (67-15) lost in the first round and the Suns (61-21) fell in the conference semifinals.
Considering the Hawks have never advanced to the East finals, and given the highs of this season, that 60-win mark could provide a nice statement going into the playoffs, especially with the way LeBron James' Cavaliers have been playing since the All-Star break.
While the Atlanta will be without Korver, Scott and (potentially) Sefolosha against the Warriors, it was Jeff Teague that had 23 points in that first win, while Paul Millsap that had 21.
In all, seven Hawks scored at least 11 points the last time they faced Golden State. Ball movement and the team concept have been Atlanta's defining characteristics and that isn't likely to change.
That being said, missing Korver does hurt, arguably more than losing any player on the roster can.
Defenses set up differently with him on the court for the mere fact that he spreads them out and causes fits with his ability to catch and shoot off screens and knock down treys from a backside handoff.
Granted, every player on the Hawks roster can hit 3s, and from a production standpoint not having Korver didn't keep the offense from lighting up the Kings from beyond the arc in Monday's win.
Atlanta hit 12 of 31 treys in that victory as DeMarre Carroll was 3 of 6, Shelvin Mack shot 3 of 7, Teague hit 2 of 4 and Kent Bazemore was 2 of 8. That depth can at least make up for Korver's absence, but especially if he's gone the minimum of three games.
It does, of course, rob us all from seeing a battle of the league's best sharpshooters as he goes toe-to-toe with Curry. His fellow Splash Brother, Klay Thompson, will be out for this one too. He sprained his ankle Monday against the Lakers and is expected to be out for seven to 10 days.
From a momentum standpoint, this certainly carries weight, but the Hawks' agenda when it comes to the Warriors lies elsehwere.
It's doing their part to make the next time they see Curry and Co. to be for a championship.
Follow Cory McCartney on Twitter @coryjmccartney
