More than four years after the franchise last participated in a playoff game on Apr. 28, 2017, the Atlanta Hawks are officially returning to the postseason. While that was largely academic prior to Wednesday’s game against the Washington Wizards, the Hawks needed just one more positive result to clinch a top-six seed and, by proxy, a berth in the 2021 NBA Playoffs. It wasn’t smooth sailing for the duration of the night, but the Hawks overcame a double-digit deficit and escaped with a 120-116 victory to ensure a trip to the playoffs.
The first quarter was quite positive for the Hawks, beginning with a 9-3 run that was kicked off by a gorgeous pass from Kevin Huerter to Bogdan Bogdanovic for a three-pointer.