ATLANTA (AP) &mdash; Al Horford hit a huge 3-pointer against his former team and the Boston Celtics broke open a tight game in the closing minutes to finish off the Atlanta Hawks 128-120 on Thursday night for a 4-2 victory in the opening-round playoff series.
The second-seeded Celtics advance to face the third-seeded Philadelphia 76ers, who&rsquo;ve been resting since completing their four-game sweep of Brooklyn last Saturday.
Game 1 is Monday night in Boston.
Boston ripped off an 11-0 run that included three straight 3-pointers, with Horford&rsquo;s big shot sandwiched around 3s from Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
Tatum capped the spurt with a dunk, which gave the Celtics a 121-113 lead with 2:07 remaining.
<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/i/status/1651780420944666624" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Brown led the Celtics with 32 points, while Tatum had 30</a>. Horford, who played in Atlanta from 2007-16, chipped in with 10 points and 12 rebounds.
After carrying the Hawks to an improbable victory in Game 5 at Boston, Atlanta&rsquo;s Trae Young ran out of steam in the second half. He missed 12 of 13 shots over the final two quarters.
&nbsp;

ATLANTA (AP) &mdash; Al Horford hit a huge 3-pointer against his former team and the Boston Celtics broke open a tight game in the closing minutes to finish off the Atlanta Hawks 128-120 on Thursday night for a 4-2 victory in the opening-round playoff series.
The second-seeded Celtics advance to face the third-seeded Philadelphia 76ers, who&rsquo;ve been resting since completing their four-game sweep of Brooklyn last Saturday.
Game 1 is Monday night in Boston.
Boston ripped off an 11-0 run that included three straight 3-pointers, with Horford&rsquo;s big shot sandwiched around 3s from Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
Tatum capped the spurt with a dunk, which gave the Celtics a 121-113 lead with 2:07 remaining.
<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/i/status/1651780420944666624" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Brown led the Celtics with 32 points, while Tatum had 30</a>. Horford, who played in Atlanta from 2007-16, chipped in with 10 points and 12 rebounds.
After carrying the Hawks to an improbable victory in Game 5 at Boston, Atlanta&rsquo;s Trae Young ran out of steam in the second half. He missed 12 of 13 shots over the final two quarters.
Young had 30 points and 10 assists, but he finished just 9 of 28 from the field.
Marcus Smart also came up big for Boston, scoring 22 points and brilliantly running the Boston offense down the stretch.
&nbsp;

ATLANTA (AP) &mdash; Al Horford hit a huge 3-pointer against his former team and the Boston Celtics broke open a tight game in the closing minutes to finish off the Atlanta Hawks 128-120 on Thursday night for a 4-2 victory in the opening-round playoff series.
The second-seeded Celtics advance to face the third-seeded Philadelphia 76ers, who&rsquo;ve been resting since completing their four-game sweep of Brooklyn last Saturday.
Game 1 is Monday night in Boston.
Boston ripped off an 11-0 run that included three straight 3-pointers, with Horford&rsquo;s big shot sandwiched around 3s from Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
Tatum capped the spurt with a dunk, which gave the Celtics a 121-113 lead with 2:07 remaining.
<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/i/status/1651780420944666624" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Brown led the Celtics with 32 points, while Tatum had 30</a>. Horford, who played in Atlanta from 2007-16, chipped in with 10 points and 12 rebounds.
After carrying the Hawks to an improbable victory in Game 5 at Boston, Atlanta&rsquo;s Trae Young ran out of steam in the second half. He missed 12 of 13 shots over the final two quarters.
Young had 30 points and 10 assists, but he finished just 9 of 28 from the field.
Marcus Smart also came up big for Boston, scoring 22 points and brilliantly running the Boston offense down the stretch.
Dejounte Murray returned to the Hawks lineup after serving a one-game suspension for bumping an official at the end of Atlanta&rsquo;s Game 4 loss.
Murray seemed a bit out of sync, missing all five of his shots in the first half. He was better in the second half but still managed just 14 points.
The Hawks needed a few more to keep their season going.
Young forced the series back to Atlanta with a long 3-pointer that stunned the Celtics 119=117 in Boston, capping the Hawks&rsquo; improbable comeback from a 13-point deficit in the fourth quarter.
Coming off his 38-point, 13-assist effort, Young kept it going with 18 points in the first quarter.
But the Celtics finally clamped down on the Hawks star, whose heroics had forced Janet Jackson to postpone her scheduled Thursday concert until Friday to make room for Game 6.
Now, State Farm Arena is wide open for the summer.
TIP-INS
Celtics: Boston finished 18 of 42 from 3-point range. Every Boston started made at least one from long range, as did three players off the bench. ... Malcom Brgodon had 17 points. ... Tatum led the Celtics with 14 rebounds.
&nbsp;

ATLANTA (AP) &mdash; Al Horford hit a huge 3-pointer against his former team and the Boston Celtics broke open a tight game in the closing minutes to finish off the Atlanta Hawks 128-120 on Thursday night for a 4-2 victory in the opening-round playoff series.
The second-seeded Celtics advance to face the third-seeded Philadelphia 76ers, who&rsquo;ve been resting since completing their four-game sweep of Brooklyn last Saturday.
Game 1 is Monday night in Boston.
Boston ripped off an 11-0 run that included three straight 3-pointers, with Horford&rsquo;s big shot sandwiched around 3s from Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
Tatum capped the spurt with a dunk, which gave the Celtics a 121-113 lead with 2:07 remaining.
<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/i/status/1651780420944666624" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Brown led the Celtics with 32 points, while Tatum had 30</a>. Horford, who played in Atlanta from 2007-16, chipped in with 10 points and 12 rebounds.
After carrying the Hawks to an improbable victory in Game 5 at Boston, Atlanta&rsquo;s Trae Young ran out of steam in the second half. He missed 12 of 13 shots over the final two quarters.
Young had 30 points and 10 assists, but he finished just 9 of 28 from the field.
Marcus Smart also came up big for Boston, scoring 22 points and brilliantly running the Boston offense down the stretch.
Dejounte Murray returned to the Hawks lineup after serving a one-game suspension for bumping an official at the end of Atlanta&rsquo;s Game 4 loss.
Murray seemed a bit out of sync, missing all five of his shots in the first half. He was better in the second half but still managed just 14 points.
The Hawks needed a few more to keep their season going.
Young forced the series back to Atlanta with a long 3-pointer that stunned the Celtics 119=117 in Boston, capping the Hawks&rsquo; improbable comeback from a 13-point deficit in the fourth quarter.
Coming off his 38-point, 13-assist effort, Young kept it going with 18 points in the first quarter.
But the Celtics finally clamped down on the Hawks star, whose heroics had forced Janet Jackson to postpone her scheduled Thursday concert until Friday to make room for Game 6.
Now, State Farm Arena is wide open for the summer.
TIP-INS
Celtics: Boston finished 18 of 42 from 3-point range. Every Boston started made at least one from long range, as did three players off the bench. ... Malcom Brgodon had 17 points. ... Tatum led the Celtics with 14 rebounds.
Hawks: All five Atlanta starters scored in double figures. De&rsquo;Andre Hunter had 20 points, John Collins added 16 and Clint Capela finished with 10. ... Onyeka Okongwu grabbed 11 rebounds.

The Celtics broke open a tight game in the closing minutes to finish off the Hawks 128-120 on Thursday night for a 4-2 series win.

Celtics pull away, beat Hawks 128-120 for 4-2 series win

ATLANTA (AP) &mdash; Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum each scored 31 points and the Boston Celtics led nearly the entire way, holding off the Atlanta Hawks for a 129-121 victory Sunday night and commanding 3-1 lead in the opening-round playoff series.
The Celtics can deliver the clincher Tuesday night when the series returns to Boston for Game 5.
Tatum and&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/i/status/1650310469616541696">Brown</a>&nbsp;combined to score Boston's final 16 points.
<div id="tncms-region-article_instory_top" class="tncms-region hidden-print"></div>
Brown, who has been wearing a protective mask after sustaining facial contusions in February, took off the device after making only 1 of 7 shots. He went 11 of 15 the rest of the way.
&nbsp;

ATLANTA (AP) &mdash; Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum each scored 31 points and the Boston Celtics led nearly the entire way, holding off the Atlanta Hawks for a 129-121 victory Sunday night and commanding 3-1 lead in the opening-round playoff series.
The Celtics can deliver the clincher Tuesday night when the series returns to Boston for Game 5.
Tatum and&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/i/status/1650310469616541696">Brown</a>&nbsp;combined to score Boston's final 16 points.
<div id="tncms-region-article_instory_top" class="tncms-region hidden-print"></div>
Brown, who has been wearing a protective mask after sustaining facial contusions in February, took off the device after making only 1 of 7 shots. He went 11 of 15 the rest of the way.
Boston never trailed after grabbing a 4-3 lead on Derrick White's basket just over a minute into the game.
Tatum delivered a huge 3-pointer off a loose ball with two minutes remaining, pushing the Celtics to a 118-106 lead.
After Trae Young swished a long 3 to provide Atlanta's last gasp, Brown knocked one down from beyond the arc seal it for the Celtics.
Marcus Smart added 19 points and Derrick White 18 for the Celtics.
Young had another big game for Atlanta with 35 points, but it wasn't enough. De'Andre Hunter chipped in with 27 and DeJounte Murray had 23.
Hunter ripped off eight straight points, including a couple of 3s, and then delivered a thunderous dunk that brought the Hawks within 53-49.
But Boston closed the first half on a 12-4 spurt, capped by Smart's 3-pointer that sent the visitors to the locker room with a 65-53 lead and sapped a lot of energy from the home crowd.
The Celtics tenaciously protected their edge throughout the third period.
&nbsp;

ATLANTA (AP) &mdash; Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum each scored 31 points and the Boston Celtics led nearly the entire way, holding off the Atlanta Hawks for a 129-121 victory Sunday night and commanding 3-1 lead in the opening-round playoff series.
The Celtics can deliver the clincher Tuesday night when the series returns to Boston for Game 5.
Tatum and&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/i/status/1650310469616541696">Brown</a>&nbsp;combined to score Boston's final 16 points.
<div id="tncms-region-article_instory_top" class="tncms-region hidden-print"></div>
Brown, who has been wearing a protective mask after sustaining facial contusions in February, took off the device after making only 1 of 7 shots. He went 11 of 15 the rest of the way.
Boston never trailed after grabbing a 4-3 lead on Derrick White's basket just over a minute into the game.
Tatum delivered a huge 3-pointer off a loose ball with two minutes remaining, pushing the Celtics to a 118-106 lead.
After Trae Young swished a long 3 to provide Atlanta's last gasp, Brown knocked one down from beyond the arc seal it for the Celtics.
Marcus Smart added 19 points and Derrick White 18 for the Celtics.
Young had another big game for Atlanta with 35 points, but it wasn't enough. De'Andre Hunter chipped in with 27 and DeJounte Murray had 23.
Hunter ripped off eight straight points, including a couple of 3s, and then delivered a thunderous dunk that brought the Hawks within 53-49.
But Boston closed the first half on a 12-4 spurt, capped by Smart's 3-pointer that sent the visitors to the locker room with a 65-53 lead and sapped a lot of energy from the home crowd.
The Celtics tenaciously protected their edge throughout the third period.
Young hit a long 3-pointer that brought the Hawks within three, but Boston got the last shot and put the ball in Smart's hands. The Celtics cleared the middle of the court so he could blow by Bogdan Bogdanovic, laying it in for a 92-87 lead heading to the final quarter.
<a href="https://twitter.com/i/status/1650305380743016448">Smart</a>&nbsp;was in the Celtics lineup and looked just fine after a hard fall near the end of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-playoffs-celtics-hawks-b1bad21fe5037dc5302acca397777122">Game 3</a>.
He landed on his tailbone while battling for a rebound, prompting Boston to list him as a game-time decision. But coach Joe Mazzulla&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-playoffs-celtics-hawks-marcus-smart-57ce5b2a6513ecda63ec158026f87cb9">declared his guard "good to go&rdquo;</a>&nbsp;well ahead of tipoff.
KEEPING IT CLEAN
The first week of the playoffs has been marred by flagrant fouls, ejections and suspensions.
&nbsp;

ATLANTA (AP) &mdash; Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum each scored 31 points and the Boston Celtics led nearly the entire way, holding off the Atlanta Hawks for a 129-121 victory Sunday night and commanding 3-1 lead in the opening-round playoff series.
The Celtics can deliver the clincher Tuesday night when the series returns to Boston for Game 5.
Tatum and&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/i/status/1650310469616541696">Brown</a>&nbsp;combined to score Boston's final 16 points.
<div id="tncms-region-article_instory_top" class="tncms-region hidden-print"></div>
Brown, who has been wearing a protective mask after sustaining facial contusions in February, took off the device after making only 1 of 7 shots. He went 11 of 15 the rest of the way.
Boston never trailed after grabbing a 4-3 lead on Derrick White's basket just over a minute into the game.
Tatum delivered a huge 3-pointer off a loose ball with two minutes remaining, pushing the Celtics to a 118-106 lead.
After Trae Young swished a long 3 to provide Atlanta's last gasp, Brown knocked one down from beyond the arc seal it for the Celtics.
Marcus Smart added 19 points and Derrick White 18 for the Celtics.
Young had another big game for Atlanta with 35 points, but it wasn't enough. De'Andre Hunter chipped in with 27 and DeJounte Murray had 23.
Hunter ripped off eight straight points, including a couple of 3s, and then delivered a thunderous dunk that brought the Hawks within 53-49.
But Boston closed the first half on a 12-4 spurt, capped by Smart's 3-pointer that sent the visitors to the locker room with a 65-53 lead and sapped a lot of energy from the home crowd.
The Celtics tenaciously protected their edge throughout the third period.
Young hit a long 3-pointer that brought the Hawks within three, but Boston got the last shot and put the ball in Smart's hands. The Celtics cleared the middle of the court so he could blow by Bogdan Bogdanovic, laying it in for a 92-87 lead heading to the final quarter.
<a href="https://twitter.com/i/status/1650305380743016448">Smart</a>&nbsp;was in the Celtics lineup and looked just fine after a hard fall near the end of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-playoffs-celtics-hawks-b1bad21fe5037dc5302acca397777122">Game 3</a>.
He landed on his tailbone while battling for a rebound, prompting Boston to list him as a game-time decision. But coach Joe Mazzulla&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-playoffs-celtics-hawks-marcus-smart-57ce5b2a6513ecda63ec158026f87cb9">declared his guard "good to go&rdquo;</a>&nbsp;well ahead of tipoff.
KEEPING IT CLEAN
The first week of the playoffs has been marred by flagrant fouls, ejections and suspensions.
There have been no major issues in the Celtics-Hawks series, though Young did pick up a flagrant foul for grabbing Tatum's arm on a drive through the lane in the third quarter.
&ldquo;I think it's been a clean series,&rdquo; Hawks coach Quin Snyder said. &ldquo;Physicality isn't necessarily wrong. It's part of the game. You can be physical. I think the word is &lsquo;aggressiveness&rsquo; as much as anything. Both teams have done that.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Celtics: After getting outrebounded 48-29 in Game 3, Boston came out much more determined on the boards. They held a 19-9 edge at the end of the first quarterback, 32-20 at halftime and finished with a 53-52 edge.
Hawks: Hall of Famer Dominique Wilkins missed his second straight game as commentator on the Hawks regional telecast because of an illness. He is expected to return for Game 5.

The Boston Celtics led nearly the entire way, holding off the Atlanta Hawks for a 129-121 victory Sunday night and commanding 3-1 lead.

Brown, Tatum each score 31, Celtics beats Hawks for 3-1 lead

ATLANTA (AP) &mdash; Trae Young scored 32 points in his best game of the playoffs and the Atlanta Hawks gave themselves a glimmer of hope, beating the Boston Celtics 130-122 Friday night to close the gap to 2-1 in the opening-round series.
<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/Trae%20Young%20scored%2032%20points%20in%20his%20best%20game%20of%20the%20playoffs%20and%20the%20Atlanta%20Hawks%20gave%20themselves%20a%20glimmer%20of%20hope,%20beating%20the%20Boston%20Celtics%20130-122%20Friday%20night%20to%20close%20the%20gap%20to%202-1%20in%20their%20opening-round%20series.%20Young%20hit%20a%20step-back%203-pointer%20from%20the%20corner%20with%202:21%20left%20and%20knocked%20down%20another%20huge%20basket%20on%20a%20floater%20in%20the%20lane%20with%2045%20seconds%20remaining%20after%20Jaylen%20Brown%20missed%20a%203-pointer%20that%20would've%20tied%20it%20for%20the%20Celtics.%20The%20seventh-seeded%20Hawks%20will%20try%20to%20even%20the%20series%20against%20the%20second-seeded%20Celtics%20in%20Game%204%20Sunday%20night%20at%20State%20Farm%20Arena.%20Jayson%20Tatum%20scored%2029%20points%20to%20lead%20Boston,%20which%20was%20barely%20challenged%20in%20the%20first%20two%20games%20of%20the%20series." target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Young hit a step-back 3-pointer from the corner</a>&nbsp;with 2:21 left and knocked down another huge basket on a floater in the lane with 45 seconds remaining after Jaylen Brown missed a 3-pointer that would&rsquo;ve tied it for the Celtics.
The seventh-seeded Hawks will try to even the series against the second-seeded Celtics in Game 4 on Sunday night at State Farm Arena.
Jayson Tatum scored 29 points to lead Boston, which was barely challenged in the first two games of the series.
Young was under fire after making just 14 of 40 shots in Beantown. He was much better in Game 3, connecting on 12 of 22 attempts and doling out nine assists.
Dejounte Murray had another big game for the Hawks, scoring 25 points, including a 3-pointer with 1:40 remaining that helped Atlanta protect a puny lead.
&nbsp;

ATLANTA (AP) &mdash; Trae Young scored 32 points in his best game of the playoffs and the Atlanta Hawks gave themselves a glimmer of hope, beating the Boston Celtics 130-122 Friday night to close the gap to 2-1 in the opening-round series.
<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/Trae%20Young%20scored%2032%20points%20in%20his%20best%20game%20of%20the%20playoffs%20and%20the%20Atlanta%20Hawks%20gave%20themselves%20a%20glimmer%20of%20hope,%20beating%20the%20Boston%20Celtics%20130-122%20Friday%20night%20to%20close%20the%20gap%20to%202-1%20in%20their%20opening-round%20series.%20Young%20hit%20a%20step-back%203-pointer%20from%20the%20corner%20with%202:21%20left%20and%20knocked%20down%20another%20huge%20basket%20on%20a%20floater%20in%20the%20lane%20with%2045%20seconds%20remaining%20after%20Jaylen%20Brown%20missed%20a%203-pointer%20that%20would've%20tied%20it%20for%20the%20Celtics.%20The%20seventh-seeded%20Hawks%20will%20try%20to%20even%20the%20series%20against%20the%20second-seeded%20Celtics%20in%20Game%204%20Sunday%20night%20at%20State%20Farm%20Arena.%20Jayson%20Tatum%20scored%2029%20points%20to%20lead%20Boston,%20which%20was%20barely%20challenged%20in%20the%20first%20two%20games%20of%20the%20series." target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Young hit a step-back 3-pointer from the corner</a>&nbsp;with 2:21 left and knocked down another huge basket on a floater in the lane with 45 seconds remaining after Jaylen Brown missed a 3-pointer that would&rsquo;ve tied it for the Celtics.
The seventh-seeded Hawks will try to even the series against the second-seeded Celtics in Game 4 on Sunday night at State Farm Arena.
Jayson Tatum scored 29 points to lead Boston, which was barely challenged in the first two games of the series.
Young was under fire after making just 14 of 40 shots in Beantown. He was much better in Game 3, connecting on 12 of 22 attempts and doling out nine assists.
Dejounte Murray had another big game for the Hawks, scoring 25 points, including a 3-pointer with 1:40 remaining that helped Atlanta protect a puny lead.
Unlike the first two games in Boston, where&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/,%20White%20was%20forced%20to%20the%20bench%20for%20much%20of%20the%20opening%20half.%20He%20played%20only%209:58%20in%20the%20first%20two%20quarters." target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">the Celtics pushed out to big leads</a>&nbsp;and cruised to a pair of 13-point victories, the Hawks finally put up a fight.
With Derrick White forced to the bench in the early going with two quick fouls, the Hawks took advantage of a chink in the Boston defense to get things rolling. Atlanta knocked down 30 of 46 shots (65.2%) in the first half.
&nbsp;

ATLANTA (AP) &mdash; Trae Young scored 32 points in his best game of the playoffs and the Atlanta Hawks gave themselves a glimmer of hope, beating the Boston Celtics 130-122 Friday night to close the gap to 2-1 in the opening-round series.
<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/Trae%20Young%20scored%2032%20points%20in%20his%20best%20game%20of%20the%20playoffs%20and%20the%20Atlanta%20Hawks%20gave%20themselves%20a%20glimmer%20of%20hope,%20beating%20the%20Boston%20Celtics%20130-122%20Friday%20night%20to%20close%20the%20gap%20to%202-1%20in%20their%20opening-round%20series.%20Young%20hit%20a%20step-back%203-pointer%20from%20the%20corner%20with%202:21%20left%20and%20knocked%20down%20another%20huge%20basket%20on%20a%20floater%20in%20the%20lane%20with%2045%20seconds%20remaining%20after%20Jaylen%20Brown%20missed%20a%203-pointer%20that%20would've%20tied%20it%20for%20the%20Celtics.%20The%20seventh-seeded%20Hawks%20will%20try%20to%20even%20the%20series%20against%20the%20second-seeded%20Celtics%20in%20Game%204%20Sunday%20night%20at%20State%20Farm%20Arena.%20Jayson%20Tatum%20scored%2029%20points%20to%20lead%20Boston,%20which%20was%20barely%20challenged%20in%20the%20first%20two%20games%20of%20the%20series." target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Young hit a step-back 3-pointer from the corner</a>&nbsp;with 2:21 left and knocked down another huge basket on a floater in the lane with 45 seconds remaining after Jaylen Brown missed a 3-pointer that would&rsquo;ve tied it for the Celtics.
The seventh-seeded Hawks will try to even the series against the second-seeded Celtics in Game 4 on Sunday night at State Farm Arena.
Jayson Tatum scored 29 points to lead Boston, which was barely challenged in the first two games of the series.
Young was under fire after making just 14 of 40 shots in Beantown. He was much better in Game 3, connecting on 12 of 22 attempts and doling out nine assists.
Dejounte Murray had another big game for the Hawks, scoring 25 points, including a 3-pointer with 1:40 remaining that helped Atlanta protect a puny lead.
Unlike the first two games in Boston, where&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/,%20White%20was%20forced%20to%20the%20bench%20for%20much%20of%20the%20opening%20half.%20He%20played%20only%209:58%20in%20the%20first%20two%20quarters." target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">the Celtics pushed out to big leads</a>&nbsp;and cruised to a pair of 13-point victories, the Hawks finally put up a fight.
With Derrick White forced to the bench in the early going with two quick fouls, the Hawks took advantage of a chink in the Boston defense to get things rolling. Atlanta knocked down 30 of 46 shots (65.2%) in the first half.
Pumped up by a standing-room-only crowd, the Hawks built a 14-point lead &mdash; their biggest of the series &mdash; late in the first half.
But the Celtics responded with eight straight points and went to the locker room down 74-67.
It was Atlanta&rsquo; first victory over Boston this season. The Hawks dropped all three regular-season meetings.
TIP-INS
Celtics: White played only 9:58 in the first half after being whistled for a pair of fouls before the game was five minutes old. ... Marcus Smart landed hard on his lower back with about 2 1/2 minutes left, but stayed in the game, He finished with 24 points.
Hawks: Bogdan Bogdanovic took a shot to the face on Malcolm Brogdan&rsquo;s lay-in early in the fourth quarter. Bogdanovic kneeled over in the pain and was subbed out during a timeout. ... Basketball Hall of Famer Dominique Wilkins felt ill before the game and did not serve as an analyst on the Hawks regional telecast. Brian Oliver took Wilkins&rsquo; usual spot alongside play-by-play announcer Bob Rathbun.
LONG ODDS
The Hawks still face long odds. They are 0-26 in playoff series over the franchise&rsquo;s 74-season history history when losing the first two games.

The Hawks gave themselves a glimmer of hope, beating the Celtics 130-122 Friday night to close the gap to 2-1 in the first-round series.

Trae Young scores 32, Hawks beat Celtics 130-122 to close to 2-1

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) &mdash; Marcus Sasser looked just fine, scoring 22 points, and top-seeded Houston stifled local favorite Auburn in the second half for an 81-64 victory in the NCAA Tournament on Saturday night.
The Cougars (33-3)&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/i/status/1637256045235171328" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">overcame a 10-point halftime deficit</a>, returning after the break with a chip on their shoulders.
Essentially shutting down the lane, Houston played with the desperation of a national championship contender that wasn&rsquo;t ready to suffer the same fate as Purdue and Kansas &mdash; No. 1s that already were sent home.
Led by Tramon Mark with 26 points, Houston advanced to face either No. 4 Indiana or No. 5 Miami, which play Sunday, at the Sweet 16 in Kansas City, Missouri.
The Tigers (21-13) were doomed by a stretch of more than 10 1/2 minutes without a field goal and finished just 4 of 24 from the field in the second half.
Auburn did draw plenty of fouls, only to struggle mightily at the line at 19 of 36. Jaylin Williams and Johni Broome led the Tigers with 14 points apiece.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) &mdash; Marcus Sasser looked just fine, scoring 22 points, and top-seeded Houston stifled local favorite Auburn in the second half for an 81-64 victory in the NCAA Tournament on Saturday night.
The Cougars (33-3)&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/i/status/1637256045235171328" target="_blank" rel="noopener">overcame a 10-point halftime deficit</a>, returning after the break with a chip on their shoulders.
Essentially shutting down the lane, Houston played with the desperation of a national championship contender that wasn&rsquo;t ready to suffer the same fate as Purdue and Kansas &mdash; No. 1s that already were sent home.
Led by Tramon Mark with 26 points, Houston advanced to face either No. 4 Indiana or No. 5 Miami, which play Sunday, at the Sweet 16 in Kansas City, Missouri.
The Tigers (21-13) were doomed by a stretch of more than 10 1/2 minutes without a field goal and finished just 4 of 24 from the field in the second half.
Auburn did draw plenty of fouls, only to struggle mightily at the line at 19 of 36. Jaylin Williams and Johni Broome led the Tigers with 14 points apiece.
&nbsp;

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) &mdash; Marcus Sasser looked just fine, scoring 22 points, and top-seeded Houston stifled local favorite Auburn in the second half for an 81-64 victory in the NCAA Tournament on Saturday night.
The Cougars (33-3)&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/i/status/1637256045235171328" target="_blank" rel="noopener">overcame a 10-point halftime deficit</a>, returning after the break with a chip on their shoulders.
Essentially shutting down the lane, Houston played with the desperation of a national championship contender that wasn&rsquo;t ready to suffer the same fate as Purdue and Kansas &mdash; No. 1s that already were sent home.
Led by Tramon Mark with 26 points, Houston advanced to face either No. 4 Indiana or No. 5 Miami, which play Sunday, at the Sweet 16 in Kansas City, Missouri.
The Tigers (21-13) were doomed by a stretch of more than 10 1/2 minutes without a field goal and finished just 4 of 24 from the field in the second half.
Auburn did draw plenty of fouls, only to struggle mightily at the line at 19 of 36. Jaylin Williams and Johni Broome led the Tigers with 14 points apiece.
<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-houston-sasser-a327324228d43a8792f496890a5e7bc9">Sasser had dealt with a groin injury</a> over the past week, but that didn&rsquo;t seem to cause him any problems. When he swished a 3-pointer to push Houston back ahead, 46-45, he let out an emphatic scream on his way back down the court.
&nbsp;

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) &mdash; Marcus Sasser looked just fine, scoring 22 points, and top-seeded Houston stifled local favorite Auburn in the second half for an 81-64 victory in the NCAA Tournament on Saturday night.
The Cougars (33-3)&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/i/status/1637256045235171328" target="_blank" rel="noopener">overcame a 10-point halftime deficit</a>, returning after the break with a chip on their shoulders.
Essentially shutting down the lane, Houston played with the desperation of a national championship contender that wasn&rsquo;t ready to suffer the same fate as Purdue and Kansas &mdash; No. 1s that already were sent home.
Led by Tramon Mark with 26 points, Houston advanced to face either No. 4 Indiana or No. 5 Miami, which play Sunday, at the Sweet 16 in Kansas City, Missouri.
The Tigers (21-13) were doomed by a stretch of more than 10 1/2 minutes without a field goal and finished just 4 of 24 from the field in the second half.
Auburn did draw plenty of fouls, only to struggle mightily at the line at 19 of 36. Jaylin Williams and Johni Broome led the Tigers with 14 points apiece.
<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-houston-sasser-a327324228d43a8792f496890a5e7bc9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sasser had dealt with a groin injury</a> over the past week, but that didn&rsquo;t seem to cause him any problems. When he swished a 3-pointer to push Houston back ahead, 46-45, he let out an emphatic scream on his way back down the court.
&nbsp;
&nbsp;

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) &mdash; Marcus Sasser looked just fine, scoring 22 points, and top-seeded Houston stifled local favorite Auburn in the second half for an 81-64 victory in the NCAA Tournament on Saturday night.
The Cougars (33-3)&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/i/status/1637256045235171328" target="_blank" rel="noopener">overcame a 10-point halftime deficit</a>, returning after the break with a chip on their shoulders.
Essentially shutting down the lane, Houston played with the desperation of a national championship contender that wasn&rsquo;t ready to suffer the same fate as Purdue and Kansas &mdash; No. 1s that already were sent home.
Led by Tramon Mark with 26 points, Houston advanced to face either No. 4 Indiana or No. 5 Miami, which play Sunday, at the Sweet 16 in Kansas City, Missouri.
The Tigers (21-13) were doomed by a stretch of more than 10 1/2 minutes without a field goal and finished just 4 of 24 from the field in the second half.
Auburn did draw plenty of fouls, only to struggle mightily at the line at 19 of 36. Jaylin Williams and Johni Broome led the Tigers with 14 points apiece.
<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-houston-sasser-a327324228d43a8792f496890a5e7bc9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sasser had dealt with a groin injury</a> over the past week, but that didn&rsquo;t seem to cause him any problems. When he swished a 3-pointer to push Houston back ahead, 46-45, he let out an emphatic scream on his way back down the court.
He finished 5 of 9 beyond the arc.
Sasser&rsquo;s only issue was foul trouble. The All-American guard and his running mate, point guard Jamal Shead, were both forced to the bench with four fouls apiece with the game still in doubt.
But Mark kept the Cougars right on rolling offensively, and the Jarace Walker-led defense just refused to let Auburn back in the game.
Houston had 12 blocks, half of them swatted away by Walker. Houston scored the final nine points to blow it open at the end, with Sasser delivering another key shot from beyond the 3-point stripe.
Auburn ripped off a 17-4 run over the final 5 1/2 minutes of the first half. Williams scored eight of those points, swishing a 3-pointer and also converting a three-point play.
Houston missed six of its last eight shots in the half, its only baskets coming on a pair of layups.
But the Cougars would not be denied, even with the Tigers having a home-state edge. Legacy Arena in Birmingham is only about a two-hour drive from their east Alabama campus.
&nbsp;

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) &mdash; Marcus Sasser looked just fine, scoring 22 points, and top-seeded Houston stifled local favorite Auburn in the second half for an 81-64 victory in the NCAA Tournament on Saturday night.
The Cougars (33-3)&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/i/status/1637256045235171328" target="_blank" rel="noopener">overcame a 10-point halftime deficit</a>, returning after the break with a chip on their shoulders.
Essentially shutting down the lane, Houston played with the desperation of a national championship contender that wasn&rsquo;t ready to suffer the same fate as Purdue and Kansas &mdash; No. 1s that already were sent home.
Led by Tramon Mark with 26 points, Houston advanced to face either No. 4 Indiana or No. 5 Miami, which play Sunday, at the Sweet 16 in Kansas City, Missouri.
The Tigers (21-13) were doomed by a stretch of more than 10 1/2 minutes without a field goal and finished just 4 of 24 from the field in the second half.
Auburn did draw plenty of fouls, only to struggle mightily at the line at 19 of 36. Jaylin Williams and Johni Broome led the Tigers with 14 points apiece.
<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-houston-sasser-a327324228d43a8792f496890a5e7bc9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sasser had dealt with a groin injury</a> over the past week, but that didn&rsquo;t seem to cause him any problems. When he swished a 3-pointer to push Houston back ahead, 46-45, he let out an emphatic scream on his way back down the court.
He finished 5 of 9 beyond the arc.
Sasser&rsquo;s only issue was foul trouble. The All-American guard and his running mate, point guard Jamal Shead, were both forced to the bench with four fouls apiece with the game still in doubt.
But Mark kept the Cougars right on rolling offensively, and the Jarace Walker-led defense just refused to let Auburn back in the game.
Houston had 12 blocks, half of them swatted away by Walker. Houston scored the final nine points to blow it open at the end, with Sasser delivering another key shot from beyond the 3-point stripe.
Auburn ripped off a 17-4 run over the final 5 1/2 minutes of the first half. Williams scored eight of those points, swishing a 3-pointer and also converting a three-point play.
Houston missed six of its last eight shots in the half, its only baskets coming on a pair of layups.
But the Cougars would not be denied, even with the Tigers having a home-state edge. Legacy Arena in Birmingham is only about a two-hour drive from their east Alabama campus.
BIG PICTURE
Auburn: The Tigers wrapped up an inconsistent season in appropriate fashion. They last won back-to-back games on Jan. 18 and 21, closing out the season by winning only five of their last 15 games.
Houston: Sasser now has plenty of time to rest his groin, which should give him even more confidence that he&rsquo;s not going to have any more problems.
UP NEXT
Houston is heading to the Sweet 16 for the fourth time in the last five years under Kelvin Sampson. The Cougars have never won a national title, despite six appearances in the Final Four.

Marcus Sasser scored 22 points and top-seeded Houston beat Auburn 81-64 in the NCAA Tournament on Saturday night.

March Madness: Sasser, Houston beat Auburn, move on to Sweet 16

ATLANTA (AP) &mdash; Jalen Brunson is on quite a streak.
The New York Knicks are confident it&rsquo;s no fluke.
<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/i/status/1626040136038334465" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Brunson</a>&nbsp;scored 28 points, Julius Randle added 25 and the Knicks cruised into their All-Star break with their third straight victory, blowing out the Atlanta Hawks 122-101 Wednesday night.
New York moved six games above .500 (33-27) and is brimming with confidence about its prospects for the remainder of the regular season.
&ldquo;There&rsquo;s still 22 games left,&rdquo; said RJ Barrett, who chipped in 17 points and was among six Knicks in double figures. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got to stay the course.&rdquo;
The course looks promising the way Brunson is playing.
In his first season with the Knicks after signing a $104 million deal in free agency, he is averaging 31.5 points over his last 10 games and 23.9 for the season.
Hard to believe he was just a second-round pick by Dallas coming off a stellar college career at Villanova, where he won a pair of national titles.
&nbsp;

ATLANTA (AP) &mdash; Jalen Brunson is on quite a streak.
The New York Knicks are confident it&rsquo;s no fluke.
<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/i/status/1626040136038334465" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Brunson</a>&nbsp;scored 28 points, Julius Randle added 25 and the Knicks cruised into their All-Star break with their third straight victory, blowing out the Atlanta Hawks 122-101 Wednesday night.
New York moved six games above .500 (33-27) and is brimming with confidence about its prospects for the remainder of the regular season.
&ldquo;There&rsquo;s still 22 games left,&rdquo; said RJ Barrett, who chipped in 17 points and was among six Knicks in double figures. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got to stay the course.&rdquo;
The course looks promising the way Brunson is playing.
In his first season with the Knicks after signing a $104 million deal in free agency, he is averaging 31.5 points over his last 10 games and 23.9 for the season.
Hard to believe he was just a second-round pick by Dallas coming off a stellar college career at Villanova, where he won a pair of national titles.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s good and he knows he&rsquo;s good,&rdquo; Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think anyone is surprised by what he&rsquo;s doing.&rdquo;
But Brunson is hardly content. When told what his coach had said, the 26-year-old guard quickly pointed out he had five turnovers.
&ldquo;Whenever I step on the court, I try to be the best player I can be,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s always ways I can improve, no matter what&rsquo;s going on, whether I&rsquo;m playing good or bad.&rdquo;
&nbsp;

ATLANTA (AP) &mdash; Jalen Brunson is on quite a streak.
The New York Knicks are confident it&rsquo;s no fluke.
<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/i/status/1626040136038334465" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Brunson</a>&nbsp;scored 28 points, Julius Randle added 25 and the Knicks cruised into their All-Star break with their third straight victory, blowing out the Atlanta Hawks 122-101 Wednesday night.
New York moved six games above .500 (33-27) and is brimming with confidence about its prospects for the remainder of the regular season.
&ldquo;There&rsquo;s still 22 games left,&rdquo; said RJ Barrett, who chipped in 17 points and was among six Knicks in double figures. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got to stay the course.&rdquo;
The course looks promising the way Brunson is playing.
In his first season with the Knicks after signing a $104 million deal in free agency, he is averaging 31.5 points over his last 10 games and 23.9 for the season.
Hard to believe he was just a second-round pick by Dallas coming off a stellar college career at Villanova, where he won a pair of national titles.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s good and he knows he&rsquo;s good,&rdquo; Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think anyone is surprised by what he&rsquo;s doing.&rdquo;
But Brunson is hardly content. When told what his coach had said, the 26-year-old guard quickly pointed out he had five turnovers.
&ldquo;Whenever I step on the court, I try to be the best player I can be,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s always ways I can improve, no matter what&rsquo;s going on, whether I&rsquo;m playing good or bad.&rdquo;
New York settled this one right from the start. The Knicks never trailed, building a 24-point lead in the first half and leading by double digits for the final 42 minutes of the game.
The only sign of life from the Hawks came late in the third quarter, when they crept within 11.
But&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/i/status/1626031502575169536" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Obi Toppin</a>&nbsp;and Josh Hart connected on back-to-back 3s from the same corner early in the fourth to push the lead back to 19.
That was it for the Hawks, who lost their second in a row to dip below .500 (29-30) in what has been a hugely disappointing season just two years after they reached the Eastern Conference final.
Trae Young was held to 19 points on 4-of-14 shooting, making just one of six outside the 3-point stripe. De&rsquo;Andre Hunter led the Hawks with 20 points.
&ldquo;We definitely need a break,&rdquo; Young said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve got faith in my team. I&rsquo;ve got trust that we can make a special run.&rdquo;
&nbsp;

ATLANTA (AP) &mdash; Jalen Brunson is on quite a streak.
The New York Knicks are confident it&rsquo;s no fluke.
<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/i/status/1626040136038334465" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Brunson</a>&nbsp;scored 28 points, Julius Randle added 25 and the Knicks cruised into their All-Star break with their third straight victory, blowing out the Atlanta Hawks 122-101 Wednesday night.
New York moved six games above .500 (33-27) and is brimming with confidence about its prospects for the remainder of the regular season.
&ldquo;There&rsquo;s still 22 games left,&rdquo; said RJ Barrett, who chipped in 17 points and was among six Knicks in double figures. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got to stay the course.&rdquo;
The course looks promising the way Brunson is playing.
In his first season with the Knicks after signing a $104 million deal in free agency, he is averaging 31.5 points over his last 10 games and 23.9 for the season.
Hard to believe he was just a second-round pick by Dallas coming off a stellar college career at Villanova, where he won a pair of national titles.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s good and he knows he&rsquo;s good,&rdquo; Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think anyone is surprised by what he&rsquo;s doing.&rdquo;
But Brunson is hardly content. When told what his coach had said, the 26-year-old guard quickly pointed out he had five turnovers.
&ldquo;Whenever I step on the court, I try to be the best player I can be,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s always ways I can improve, no matter what&rsquo;s going on, whether I&rsquo;m playing good or bad.&rdquo;
New York settled this one right from the start. The Knicks never trailed, building a 24-point lead in the first half and leading by double digits for the final 42 minutes of the game.
The only sign of life from the Hawks came late in the third quarter, when they crept within 11.
But&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/i/status/1626031502575169536" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Obi Toppin</a>&nbsp;and Josh Hart connected on back-to-back 3s from the same corner early in the fourth to push the lead back to 19.
That was it for the Hawks, who lost their second in a row to dip below .500 (29-30) in what has been a hugely disappointing season just two years after they reached the Eastern Conference final.
Trae Young was held to 19 points on 4-of-14 shooting, making just one of six outside the 3-point stripe. De&rsquo;Andre Hunter led the Hawks with 20 points.
&ldquo;We definitely need a break,&rdquo; Young said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve got faith in my team. I&rsquo;ve got trust that we can make a special run.&rdquo;
<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/i/status/1626044187681427456" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Randle</a>&nbsp;grabbed 11 rebounds for the Knicks, who finished with a 55-40 edge on the boards.
Thibodeau fretted before the game about his team letting up heading into the All-Star hiatus.
&ldquo;You don&rsquo;t want to go on break before the break,&rdquo; he said.
Instead, it was the Hawks who sleepwalked through the contest, falling behind by double digits before the game was 5 minutes old.
New York stretched the margin to 34-14 late in the first period, and the Hawks never got closer than 14 the rest of the opening half.
The Knicks led by as many as 24 points and were up 66-44 at the break. Randle had 14 points over the first two quarters, while Brunson and Barrett chipped in with 12 apiece.
Shredding Atlanta&rsquo;s defense, the Knicks knocked down 51% of their shots in the opening half, including 9 of 26 from beyond the 3-point stripe. The Hawks, on the other hand, connected on just 1 of 15 from long range before halftime.
&nbsp;

ATLANTA (AP) &mdash; Jalen Brunson is on quite a streak.
The New York Knicks are confident it&rsquo;s no fluke.
<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/i/status/1626040136038334465" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Brunson</a>&nbsp;scored 28 points, Julius Randle added 25 and the Knicks cruised into their All-Star break with their third straight victory, blowing out the Atlanta Hawks 122-101 Wednesday night.
New York moved six games above .500 (33-27) and is brimming with confidence about its prospects for the remainder of the regular season.
&ldquo;There&rsquo;s still 22 games left,&rdquo; said RJ Barrett, who chipped in 17 points and was among six Knicks in double figures. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got to stay the course.&rdquo;
The course looks promising the way Brunson is playing.
In his first season with the Knicks after signing a $104 million deal in free agency, he is averaging 31.5 points over his last 10 games and 23.9 for the season.
Hard to believe he was just a second-round pick by Dallas coming off a stellar college career at Villanova, where he won a pair of national titles.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s good and he knows he&rsquo;s good,&rdquo; Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think anyone is surprised by what he&rsquo;s doing.&rdquo;
But Brunson is hardly content. When told what his coach had said, the 26-year-old guard quickly pointed out he had five turnovers.
&ldquo;Whenever I step on the court, I try to be the best player I can be,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s always ways I can improve, no matter what&rsquo;s going on, whether I&rsquo;m playing good or bad.&rdquo;
New York settled this one right from the start. The Knicks never trailed, building a 24-point lead in the first half and leading by double digits for the final 42 minutes of the game.
The only sign of life from the Hawks came late in the third quarter, when they crept within 11.
But&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/i/status/1626031502575169536" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Obi Toppin</a>&nbsp;and Josh Hart connected on back-to-back 3s from the same corner early in the fourth to push the lead back to 19.
That was it for the Hawks, who lost their second in a row to dip below .500 (29-30) in what has been a hugely disappointing season just two years after they reached the Eastern Conference final.
Trae Young was held to 19 points on 4-of-14 shooting, making just one of six outside the 3-point stripe. De&rsquo;Andre Hunter led the Hawks with 20 points.
&ldquo;We definitely need a break,&rdquo; Young said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve got faith in my team. I&rsquo;ve got trust that we can make a special run.&rdquo;
<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/i/status/1626044187681427456" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Randle</a>&nbsp;grabbed 11 rebounds for the Knicks, who finished with a 55-40 edge on the boards.
Thibodeau fretted before the game about his team letting up heading into the All-Star hiatus.
&ldquo;You don&rsquo;t want to go on break before the break,&rdquo; he said.
Instead, it was the Hawks who sleepwalked through the contest, falling behind by double digits before the game was 5 minutes old.
New York stretched the margin to 34-14 late in the first period, and the Hawks never got closer than 14 the rest of the opening half.
The Knicks led by as many as 24 points and were up 66-44 at the break. Randle had 14 points over the first two quarters, while Brunson and Barrett chipped in with 12 apiece.
Shredding Atlanta&rsquo;s defense, the Knicks knocked down 51% of their shots in the opening half, including 9 of 26 from beyond the 3-point stripe. The Hawks, on the other hand, connected on just 1 of 15 from long range before halftime.
TIP-INS
Knicks: New York improved to 8-6 since C Mitchell Robinson went down with a thumb injury. Jericho Sims has stepped up to fill Robinson&rsquo;s spot in the starting five, while Isaiah Hartenstein is providing solid minutes off the bench. &ldquo;When someone goes out, it&rsquo;s opportunity for someone else to step in,&rdquo; Thibodeau said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re getting good production out of that position.&rdquo; ,,, New York wrapped up its season series with the Hawks. Each team won twice.
Hawks: Newcomer Saddiq Bey played his first game in front of the Atlanta fans after being acquired at the trade deadline. He had just 2 points in 18 1/2 minutes. ... The Hawks finished 5 of 26 on 3-pointers. ... John Collins left in the third quarter after taking an elbow the face.

ATLANTA (AP) &mdash; Jalen Brunson is on quite a streak.
The New York Knicks are confident it&rsquo;s no fluke.
<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/i/status/1626040136038334465" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Brunson</a>&nbsp;scored 28 points, Julius Randle added 25 and the Knicks cruised into their All-Star break with their third straight victory, blowing out the Atlanta Hawks 122-101 Wednesday night.
New York moved six games above .500 (33-27) and is brimming with confidence about its prospects for the remainder of the regular season.
&ldquo;There&rsquo;s still 22 games left,&rdquo; said RJ Barrett, who chipped in 17 points and was among six Knicks in double figures. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got to stay the course.&rdquo;
The course looks promising the way Brunson is playing.
In his first season with the Knicks after signing a $104 million deal in free agency, he is averaging 31.5 points over his last 10 games and 23.9 for the season.
Hard to believe he was just a second-round pick by Dallas coming off a stellar college career at Villanova, where he won a pair of national titles.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s good and he knows he&rsquo;s good,&rdquo; Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think anyone is surprised by what he&rsquo;s doing.&rdquo;
But Brunson is hardly content. When told what his coach had said, the 26-year-old guard quickly pointed out he had five turnovers.
&ldquo;Whenever I step on the court, I try to be the best player I can be,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s always ways I can improve, no matter what&rsquo;s going on, whether I&rsquo;m playing good or bad.&rdquo;
New York settled this one right from the start. The Knicks never trailed, building a 24-point lead in the first half and leading by double digits for the final 42 minutes of the game.
The only sign of life from the Hawks came late in the third quarter, when they crept within 11.
But&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/i/status/1626031502575169536" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Obi Toppin</a>&nbsp;and Josh Hart connected on back-to-back 3s from the same corner early in the fourth to push the lead back to 19.
That was it for the Hawks, who lost their second in a row to dip below .500 (29-30) in what has been a hugely disappointing season just two years after they reached the Eastern Conference final.
Trae Young was held to 19 points on 4-of-14 shooting, making just one of six outside the 3-point stripe. De&rsquo;Andre Hunter led the Hawks with 20 points.
&ldquo;We definitely need a break,&rdquo; Young said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve got faith in my team. I&rsquo;ve got trust that we can make a special run.&rdquo;
Randle&nbsp;grabbed 11 rebounds for the Knicks, who finished with a 55-40 edge on the boards.
Thibodeau fretted before the game about his team letting up heading into the All-Star hiatus.
&ldquo;You don&rsquo;t want to go on break before the break,&rdquo; he said.
Instead, it was the Hawks who sleepwalked through the contest, falling behind by double digits before the game was 5 minutes old.
New York stretched the margin to 34-14 late in the first period, and the Hawks never got closer than 14 the rest of the opening half.
The Knicks led by as many as 24 points and were up 66-44 at the break. Randle had 14 points over the first two quarters, while Brunson and Barrett chipped in with 12 apiece.
Shredding Atlanta&rsquo;s defense, the Knicks knocked down 51% of their shots in the opening half, including 9 of 26 from beyond the 3-point stripe. The Hawks, on the other hand, connected on just 1 of 15 from long range before halftime.
TIP-INS
Knicks: New York improved to 8-6 since C Mitchell Robinson went down with a thumb injury. Jericho Sims has stepped up to fill Robinson&rsquo;s spot in the starting five, while Isaiah Hartenstein is providing solid minutes off the bench. &ldquo;When someone goes out, it&rsquo;s opportunity for someone else to step in,&rdquo; Thibodeau said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re getting good production out of that position.&rdquo; ,,, New York wrapped up its season series with the Hawks. Each team won twice.
Hawks: Newcomer Saddiq Bey played his first game in front of the Atlanta fans after being acquired at the trade deadline. He had just 2 points in 18 1/2 minutes. ... The Hawks finished 5 of 26 on 3-pointers. ... John Collins left in the third quarter after taking an elbow the face.

ATLANTA (AP) &mdash; Jalen Brunson is on quite a streak.
The New York Knicks are confident it&rsquo;s no fluke.
Brunson&nbsp;scored 28 points, Julius Randle added 25 and the Knicks cruised into their All-Star break with their third straight victory, blowing out the Atlanta Hawks 122-101 Wednesday night.
New York moved six games above .500 (33-27) and is brimming with confidence about its prospects for the remainder of the regular season.
&ldquo;There&rsquo;s still 22 games left,&rdquo; said RJ Barrett, who chipped in 17 points and was among six Knicks in double figures. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got to stay the course.&rdquo;
The course looks promising the way Brunson is playing.
In his first season with the Knicks after signing a $104 million deal in free agency, he is averaging 31.5 points over his last 10 games and 23.9 for the season.
Hard to believe he was just a second-round pick by Dallas coming off a stellar college career at Villanova, where he won a pair of national titles.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s good and he knows he&rsquo;s good,&rdquo; Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think anyone is surprised by what he&rsquo;s doing.&rdquo;
But Brunson is hardly content. When told what his coach had said, the 26-year-old guard quickly pointed out he had five turnovers.
&ldquo;Whenever I step on the court, I try to be the best player I can be,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s always ways I can improve, no matter what&rsquo;s going on, whether I&rsquo;m playing good or bad.&rdquo;
New York settled this one right from the start. The Knicks never trailed, building a 24-point lead in the first half and leading by double digits for the final 42 minutes of the game.
The only sign of life from the Hawks came late in the third quarter, when they crept within 11.
But&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/i/status/1626031502575169536" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Obi Toppin</a>&nbsp;and Josh Hart connected on back-to-back 3s from the same corner early in the fourth to push the lead back to 19.
That was it for the Hawks, who lost their second in a row to dip below .500 (29-30) in what has been a hugely disappointing season just two years after they reached the Eastern Conference final.
Trae Young was held to 19 points on 4-of-14 shooting, making just one of six outside the 3-point stripe. De&rsquo;Andre Hunter led the Hawks with 20 points.
&ldquo;We definitely need a break,&rdquo; Young said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve got faith in my team. I&rsquo;ve got trust that we can make a special run.&rdquo;
Randle&nbsp;grabbed 11 rebounds for the Knicks, who finished with a 55-40 edge on the boards.
Thibodeau fretted before the game about his team letting up heading into the All-Star hiatus.
&ldquo;You don&rsquo;t want to go on break before the break,&rdquo; he said.
Instead, it was the Hawks who sleepwalked through the contest, falling behind by double digits before the game was 5 minutes old.
New York stretched the margin to 34-14 late in the first period, and the Hawks never got closer than 14 the rest of the opening half.
The Knicks led by as many as 24 points and were up 66-44 at the break. Randle had 14 points over the first two quarters, while Brunson and Barrett chipped in with 12 apiece.
Shredding Atlanta&rsquo;s defense, the Knicks knocked down 51% of their shots in the opening half, including 9 of 26 from beyond the 3-point stripe. The Hawks, on the other hand, connected on just 1 of 15 from long range before halftime.
TIP-INS
Knicks: New York improved to 8-6 since C Mitchell Robinson went down with a thumb injury. Jericho Sims has stepped up to fill Robinson&rsquo;s spot in the starting five, while Isaiah Hartenstein is providing solid minutes off the bench. &ldquo;When someone goes out, it&rsquo;s opportunity for someone else to step in,&rdquo; Thibodeau said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re getting good production out of that position.&rdquo; ,,, New York wrapped up its season series with the Hawks. Each team won twice.
Hawks: Newcomer Saddiq Bey played his first game in front of the Atlanta fans after being acquired at the trade deadline. He had just 2 points in 18 1/2 minutes. ... The Hawks finished 5 of 26 on 3-pointers. ... John Collins left in the third quarter after taking an elbow the face.

ATLANTA (AP) &mdash; Jalen Brunson is on quite a streak.
The New York Knicks are confident it&rsquo;s no fluke.
Brunson&nbsp;scored 28 points, Julius Randle added 25 and the Knicks cruised into their All-Star break with their third straight victory, blowing out the Atlanta Hawks 122-101 Wednesday night.
New York moved six games above .500 (33-27) and is brimming with confidence about its prospects for the remainder of the regular season.
&ldquo;There&rsquo;s still 22 games left,&rdquo; said RJ Barrett, who chipped in 17 points and was among six Knicks in double figures. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got to stay the course.&rdquo;
The course looks promising the way Brunson is playing.
In his first season with the Knicks after signing a $104 million deal in free agency, he is averaging 31.5 points over his last 10 games and 23.9 for the season.
Hard to believe he was just a second-round pick by Dallas coming off a stellar college career at Villanova, where he won a pair of national titles.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s good and he knows he&rsquo;s good,&rdquo; Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think anyone is surprised by what he&rsquo;s doing.&rdquo;
But Brunson is hardly content. When told what his coach had said, the 26-year-old guard quickly pointed out he had five turnovers.
&ldquo;Whenever I step on the court, I try to be the best player I can be,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s always ways I can improve, no matter what&rsquo;s going on, whether I&rsquo;m playing good or bad.&rdquo;
New York settled this one right from the start. The Knicks never trailed, building a 24-point lead in the first half and leading by double digits for the final 42 minutes of the game.
The only sign of life from the Hawks came late in the third quarter, when they crept within 11.
But&nbsp;Obi Toppin&nbsp;and Josh Hart connected on back-to-back 3s from the same corner early in the fourth to push the lead back to 19.
That was it for the Hawks, who lost their second in a row to dip below .500 (29-30) in what has been a hugely disappointing season just two years after they reached the Eastern Conference final.
Trae Young was held to 19 points on 4-of-14 shooting, making just one of six outside the 3-point stripe. De&rsquo;Andre Hunter led the Hawks with 20 points.
&ldquo;We definitely need a break,&rdquo; Young said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve got faith in my team. I&rsquo;ve got trust that we can make a special run.&rdquo;
Randle&nbsp;grabbed 11 rebounds for the Knicks, who finished with a 55-40 edge on the boards.
Thibodeau fretted before the game about his team letting up heading into the All-Star hiatus.
&ldquo;You don&rsquo;t want to go on break before the break,&rdquo; he said.
Instead, it was the Hawks who sleepwalked through the contest, falling behind by double digits before the game was 5 minutes old.
New York stretched the margin to 34-14 late in the first period, and the Hawks never got closer than 14 the rest of the opening half.
The Knicks led by as many as 24 points and were up 66-44 at the break. Randle had 14 points over the first two quarters, while Brunson and Barrett chipped in with 12 apiece.
Shredding Atlanta&rsquo;s defense, the Knicks knocked down 51% of their shots in the opening half, including 9 of 26 from beyond the 3-point stripe. The Hawks, on the other hand, connected on just 1 of 15 from long range before halftime.
TIP-INS
Knicks: New York improved to 8-6 since C Mitchell Robinson went down with a thumb injury. Jericho Sims has stepped up to fill Robinson&rsquo;s spot in the starting five, while Isaiah Hartenstein is providing solid minutes off the bench. &ldquo;When someone goes out, it&rsquo;s opportunity for someone else to step in,&rdquo; Thibodeau said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re getting good production out of that position.&rdquo; ,,, New York wrapped up its season series with the Hawks. Each team won twice.
Hawks: Newcomer Saddiq Bey played his first game in front of the Atlanta fans after being acquired at the trade deadline. He had just 2 points in 18 1/2 minutes. ... The Hawks finished 5 of 26 on 3-pointers. ... John Collins left in the third quarter after taking an elbow the face.

Jalen Brunson scored 28 points, and the New York Knicks scored their third straight victory, blowing out the Atlanta Hawks 122-101.

Brunson scores 28, Randle 25, Knicks rout Hawks 122-101

The Atlanta Hawks are heading into training camp looking for a bit of a reboot.
First up: improving the communication between coach Nate McMillan and star guard Trae Young.
McMillan already got the ball rolling after&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/miami-heat-atlanta-hawks-nba-sports-1c8157e72efbe6347914f1dcb55626fc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Hawks were eliminated</a>&nbsp;in the opening round of the playoffs,&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/miami-heat-atlanta-hawks-nba-sports-1309479d3c7f8fdef6159bbf924edbec" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a bitter comedown</a>&nbsp;from their run to the Eastern Conference final in 2021.
In June, the coach hopped on a flight to visit Young at his Oklahoma City home, wanting to make sure everyone was on the same page when camp began Saturday.
&ldquo;One of the big areas that I feel we need to improve on is the connection between the two of us,&rdquo; McMillan said. &ldquo;I think we need to be better at communicating with each other and what we want to do and how we want to go about doing it.&rdquo;
The coach also wants Young, who turned 24 less than a week ago, to claim more of a leadership role, both on the court and in the locker room.
"He&rsquo;s the face of the franchise and it&rsquo;s something that he has just inherited,&rdquo; McMillan said. &ldquo;He will have to work at it and become better.&rdquo;
Young brushed off any attempt to suggest a rift between the coach and his biggest star.
&ldquo;I think you&rsquo;re trying to reach for something that isn&rsquo;t there. The relationship isn&rsquo;t rocky,&rdquo; Young said. &ldquo;We can all be better in areas. We&rsquo;re all trying to get better. We&rsquo;re not trying to stay the same.&rdquo;
While there was plenty of speculation that the Hawks were headed for a major overhaul after their playoff flop, they decided to keep much of the roster intact.
<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/los-angeles-clippers-lakers-nba-sports-russell-westbrook-1848f98b0610b0de45f8336b9425d774">The big move</a>&nbsp;was a trade that landed All-Star guard Dejounte Murray from the San Antonio Spurs for three first-round draft picks.
Murray provides the Hawks with another ballhandling guard who can play the point, giving Young a chance to work more without the ball.
That is an element that McMillan wants to develop after watching the Miami Heat stifle Young in the playoffs, giving the Hawks few other options to get the offense rolling.
Murray also should help improve an atrocious defense that was perhaps the most significant factor in the team failing to live up to expectations. He led the league in steals a season ago and was a second-team member of the NBA&rsquo;s all-defensive team in 2018.
While everyone was all smiles during a photo shoot and interview session, it will be intriguing to see how Young &mdash; only the second player in NBA history to lead the league in both total points and total assists &mdash; adapts to Murray assuming some of the playmaking duties.
McMillan said the team was in constant contact with Young as the trade unfolded.
&ldquo;As I told him, &lsquo;We&rsquo;re bringing in another guard, and an All-Star guard. Do you know what that means for you? You&rsquo;ll be playing without the ball more than you probably ever have,&rsquo;&rdquo; McMillan recounted. &ldquo;He was really excited about the opportunity to play off the ball, learn to play off the ball, and play with Murray.&rdquo;
Murray expects it to be a productive relationship, though it may take a while to really click.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m not trying to step on any toes,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;They have a great thing going here. Trae earned the rights of who he is with this organization. I&rsquo;m coming to help.&rdquo;
McMillan wants his entire team to recapture some of the camaraderie that was clearly there during the unexpected playoff run two seasons ago.
To that end, the Hawks are taking an extended trip to Abu Dhabi, where are they&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/washington-wizards-golden-state-warriors-atlanta-hawks-milwaukee-bucks-nba-89bb1e8f0e5a50f90a0709843fa04040">scheduled to play a pair of preseason games</a>&nbsp;against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Atlanta will depart next Friday and spend nine days in Middle East before returning to the States for their final two preseason contests.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a great opportunity for our guys to bond. We are looking at trying to put them in position for that to happen,&rdquo; McMillan said &ldquo;We want our guys to spend that time together.&rdquo;
It should also give Young a chance to begin flexing his leadership qualities.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve always been a leader by example,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m still learning how to be a leader vocally. It&rsquo;s not that I don&rsquo;t do it; it&rsquo;s just how can I be better at it. I think that&rsquo;s what Nate is talking about.&rdquo;
&ldquo;Our relationship is great,&prime; Young added. &ldquo;My teammates love me, I love my teammates. Now we&rsquo;re going to try to win this championship.&rdquo;

The Atlanta Hawks are heading into training camp looking for a bit of a reboot.
First up: improving the communication between coach Nate McMillan and star guard Trae Young.
McMillan already got the ball rolling after&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/miami-heat-atlanta-hawks-nba-sports-1c8157e72efbe6347914f1dcb55626fc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Hawks were eliminated</a>&nbsp;in the opening round of the playoffs,&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/miami-heat-atlanta-hawks-nba-sports-1309479d3c7f8fdef6159bbf924edbec" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a bitter comedown</a>&nbsp;from their run to the Eastern Conference final in 2021.
In June, the coach hopped on a flight to visit Young at his Oklahoma City home, wanting to make sure everyone was on the same page when camp began Saturday.
&ldquo;One of the big areas that I feel we need to improve on is the connection between the two of us,&rdquo; McMillan said. &ldquo;I think we need to be better at communicating with each other and what we want to do and how we want to go about doing it.&rdquo;
The coach also wants Young, who turned 24 less than a week ago, to claim more of a leadership role, both on the court and in the locker room.
"He&rsquo;s the face of the franchise and it&rsquo;s something that he has just inherited,&rdquo; McMillan said. &ldquo;He will have to work at it and become better.&rdquo;
Young brushed off any attempt to suggest a rift between the coach and his biggest star.
&ldquo;I think you&rsquo;re trying to reach for something that isn&rsquo;t there. The relationship isn&rsquo;t rocky,&rdquo; Young said. &ldquo;We can all be better in areas. We&rsquo;re all trying to get better. We&rsquo;re not trying to stay the same.&rdquo;
While there was plenty of speculation that the Hawks were headed for a major overhaul after their playoff flop, they decided to keep much of the roster intact.
<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/los-angeles-clippers-lakers-nba-sports-russell-westbrook-1848f98b0610b0de45f8336b9425d774" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The big move</a>&nbsp;was a trade that landed All-Star guard Dejounte Murray from the San Antonio Spurs for three first-round draft picks.
Murray provides the Hawks with another ballhandling guard who can play the point, giving Young a chance to work more without the ball.
That is an element that McMillan wants to develop after watching the Miami Heat stifle Young in the playoffs, giving the Hawks few other options to get the offense rolling.
Murray also should help improve an atrocious defense that was perhaps the most significant factor in the team failing to live up to expectations. He led the league in steals a season ago and was a second-team member of the NBA&rsquo;s all-defensive team in 2018.
While everyone was all smiles during a photo shoot and interview session, it will be intriguing to see how Young &mdash; only the second player in NBA history to lead the league in both total points and total assists &mdash; adapts to Murray assuming some of the playmaking duties.
McMillan said the team was in constant contact with Young as the trade unfolded.
&ldquo;As I told him, &lsquo;We&rsquo;re bringing in another guard, and an All-Star guard. Do you know what that means for you? You&rsquo;ll be playing without the ball more than you probably ever have,&rsquo;&rdquo; McMillan recounted. &ldquo;He was really excited about the opportunity to play off the ball, learn to play off the ball, and play with Murray.&rdquo;
Murray expects it to be a productive relationship, though it may take a while to really click.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m not trying to step on any toes,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;They have a great thing going here. Trae earned the rights of who he is with this organization. I&rsquo;m coming to help.&rdquo;
McMillan wants his entire team to recapture some of the camaraderie that was clearly there during the unexpected playoff run two seasons ago.
To that end, the Hawks are taking an extended trip to Abu Dhabi, where are they&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/washington-wizards-golden-state-warriors-atlanta-hawks-milwaukee-bucks-nba-89bb1e8f0e5a50f90a0709843fa04040">scheduled to play a pair of preseason games</a>&nbsp;against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Atlanta will depart next Friday and spend nine days in Middle East before returning to the States for their final two preseason contests.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a great opportunity for our guys to bond. We are looking at trying to put them in position for that to happen,&rdquo; McMillan said &ldquo;We want our guys to spend that time together.&rdquo;
It should also give Young a chance to begin flexing his leadership qualities.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve always been a leader by example,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m still learning how to be a leader vocally. It&rsquo;s not that I don&rsquo;t do it; it&rsquo;s just how can I be better at it. I think that&rsquo;s what Nate is talking about.&rdquo;
&ldquo;Our relationship is great,&prime; Young added. &ldquo;My teammates love me, I love my teammates. Now we&rsquo;re going to try to win this championship.&rdquo;

The Atlanta Hawks are heading into training camp looking for a bit of a reboot.
First up: improving the communication between coach Nate McMillan and star guard Trae Young.
McMillan already got the ball rolling after&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/miami-heat-atlanta-hawks-nba-sports-1c8157e72efbe6347914f1dcb55626fc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Hawks were eliminated</a>&nbsp;in the opening round of the playoffs,&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/miami-heat-atlanta-hawks-nba-sports-1309479d3c7f8fdef6159bbf924edbec" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a bitter comedown</a>&nbsp;from their run to the Eastern Conference final in 2021.
In June, the coach hopped on a flight to visit Young at his Oklahoma City home, wanting to make sure everyone was on the same page when camp began Saturday.
&ldquo;One of the big areas that I feel we need to improve on is the connection between the two of us,&rdquo; McMillan said. &ldquo;I think we need to be better at communicating with each other and what we want to do and how we want to go about doing it.&rdquo;
The coach also wants Young, who turned 24 less than a week ago, to claim more of a leadership role, both on the court and in the locker room.
"He&rsquo;s the face of the franchise and it&rsquo;s something that he has just inherited,&rdquo; McMillan said. &ldquo;He will have to work at it and become better.&rdquo;
Young brushed off any attempt to suggest a rift between the coach and his biggest star.
&ldquo;I think you&rsquo;re trying to reach for something that isn&rsquo;t there. The relationship isn&rsquo;t rocky,&rdquo; Young said. &ldquo;We can all be better in areas. We&rsquo;re all trying to get better. We&rsquo;re not trying to stay the same.&rdquo;
While there was plenty of speculation that the Hawks were headed for a major overhaul after their playoff flop, they decided to keep much of the roster intact.
<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/los-angeles-clippers-lakers-nba-sports-russell-westbrook-1848f98b0610b0de45f8336b9425d774" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The big move</a>&nbsp;was a trade that landed All-Star guard Dejounte Murray from the San Antonio Spurs for three first-round draft picks.
Murray provides the Hawks with another ballhandling guard who can play the point, giving Young a chance to work more without the ball.
That is an element that McMillan wants to develop after watching the Miami Heat stifle Young in the playoffs, giving the Hawks few other options to get the offense rolling.
Murray also should help improve an atrocious defense that was perhaps the most significant factor in the team failing to live up to expectations. He led the league in steals a season ago and was a second-team member of the NBA&rsquo;s all-defensive team in 2018.
While everyone was all smiles during a photo shoot and interview session, it will be intriguing to see how Young &mdash; only the second player in NBA history to lead the league in both total points and total assists &mdash; adapts to Murray assuming some of the playmaking duties.
McMillan said the team was in constant contact with Young as the trade unfolded.
&ldquo;As I told him, &lsquo;We&rsquo;re bringing in another guard, and an All-Star guard. Do you know what that means for you? You&rsquo;ll be playing without the ball more than you probably ever have,&rsquo;&rdquo; McMillan recounted. &ldquo;He was really excited about the opportunity to play off the ball, learn to play off the ball, and play with Murray.&rdquo;
Murray expects it to be a productive relationship, though it may take a while to really click.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m not trying to step on any toes,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;They have a great thing going here. Trae earned the rights of who he is with this organization. I&rsquo;m coming to help.&rdquo;
McMillan wants his entire team to recapture some of the camaraderie that was clearly there during the unexpected playoff run two seasons ago.
To that end, the Hawks are taking an extended trip to Abu Dhabi, where are they&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/washington-wizards-golden-state-warriors-atlanta-hawks-milwaukee-bucks-nba-89bb1e8f0e5a50f90a0709843fa04040" target="_blank" rel="noopener">scheduled to play a pair of preseason games</a>&nbsp;against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Atlanta will depart next Friday and spend nine days in Middle East before returning to the States for their final two preseason contests.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a great opportunity for our guys to bond. We are looking at trying to put them in position for that to happen,&rdquo; McMillan said &ldquo;We want our guys to spend that time together.&rdquo;
It should also give Young a chance to begin flexing his leadership qualities.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve always been a leader by example,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m still learning how to be a leader vocally. It&rsquo;s not that I don&rsquo;t do it; it&rsquo;s just how can I be better at it. I think that&rsquo;s what Nate is talking about.&rdquo;
&ldquo;Our relationship is great,&prime; Young added. &ldquo;My teammates love me, I love my teammates. Now we&rsquo;re going to try to win this championship.&rdquo;

Nate McMillan believes that he and Trae Young need to improve their connection and "be better at communicating with each other."

Hawks look to improve communication between Nate McMillan, Trae Young

ATLANTA (AP) — The Atlanta Hawks fought hard just to make the playoffs.
They battled to the very last second against the top-seeded team in the East.
But in the end, there's only one word to describe this season.
Disappointing.
Coming off <a href="https://apnews.com/article/ga-state-wire-atlanta-hawks-milwaukee-bucks-nba-sports-8d827eabf721d1b06d7207da48def57a">a surprising run to the Eastern Conference final</a> in the summer of 2021, the Hawks entered this season thinking of themselves as a potential championship contender.
Instead, they took a big step backward, spending much of the year under .500 before a late surge got them into the play-in tournament with the ninth-best record in the conference.
The Hawks won two straight in the tournament — including <a href="https://apnews.com/article/cleveland-cavaliers-atlanta-hawks-nba-sports-trae-young-c10ce79815156de0cb02475b8b93805f">a road victory</a> at Cleveland — to take the No. 8 playoff seed, but they were no match for the Miami Heat in the opening round of the playoffs.
Atlanta lasted only five games, finished off by <a href="https://apnews.com/article/miami-heat-atlanta-hawks-nba-sports-1c8157e72efbe6347914f1dcb55626fc">a 97-94 defeat</a> Tuesday night.
It really wasn't a surprising result, given the Hawks lack of consistency during the regular season. 
There were some obvious culprits — a rash of injuries, not to mention a COVID-19 outbreak that forced the team to essentially rely on a G-League roster just to take the court — but there were also mysterious lapses in effort that no one could put a finger on.
“We have to play better during the regular season to put ourselves in a better ranking, a better position to approach the playoffs,” Danilo Gallinari said. “We let a lot of games go. We had too many ups and down during the season. When it's playoff time, you can't take games off, minutes off. You've got to play every game the same way.”
From a summer filled with hope, the Hawks head into an offseason that looks much more tumultuous.
“It was a tough season. This was not a good result,” Gallinari said. “Where do we go from here? I have no idea.”
MAJOR MOVES? 
When the Hawks were struggling at the trade deadline, general manager Travis Schlenk passed on the chance for a major overhaul. The only deal he made was sending Cam Reddish to the New York Knicks for little-used Kevin Knox and a protected first-round ick.
Now that he's seen his team's body of work over an entire season, Schlenk will likely go for much bigger changes this offseason. After all the optimism generated by the 2021 postseason run, it seems clear the current roster isn't capable of competing for a championship.
John Collins, just one year into a five-year, $125 million contract, has been mentioned frequently as potential trade fodder.
TYING UP TRAE 
After becoming just the second player in NBA history to lead the league in total points and assists, Trae Young endured a miserable playoff series against the Heat.
Miami limited Young to just 15.4 points per game, twice holding him to single digits. He shot just 32% from the field (22 of 69) and had as many turnovers as assists (30 apiece).
Young and the Hawks must figure out a way to get him more involved away from the ball and come up with ways to produce offense when the other team is intent on shutting down Atlanta's best player.
“This is part of my growth,” the 23-year-old Young said. “The next time I face this sort of challenge, I'm gonna be better.”
ANOTHER STAR
With no one on the current roster who seems capable of taking the scoring load off Young on a consistent basis, the Hawks may look to bring in another top-level player to complement their young star.
The Hawks have an abundance of role players, but no really elite player beyond Young. There were far too many nights when they looked like a one-man team.
CONTRACT DECISIONS
This summer, the Hawks must decide what sort of commitment to make to De'Andre Hunter, who closed the season with a career-best 35 points in the Game 5 loss to the Heat.
The Hawks love Hunter's defense and believe he can become more of a force offensively, but he's battled injuries and inconsistency over his first three seasons in the league. 
Now, he's eligible for a rookie extension worth up to $184 million over five years.
The Hawks already have big money tied up in players who struggled to meet expectations this season, including Collins, Gallinari, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Clint Capela and Kevin Huerter.
BIG O
The Hawks will be looking for ways to get Onyeka Okongwu a bigger role.
Only 21, the undersized center missed the first part of the season recovering from shoulder surgery but played well as his minutes increased down the stretch. 
He'll spend this offseason looking for ways to expand his offensive repertoire.
___
Follow Paul Newberry on Twitter at https://twitter.com/pnewberry1963
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

ATLANTA (AP) &mdash; The Atlanta Hawks fought hard just to make the playoffs.
They battled to the very last second against the top-seeded team in the East.
But in the end, there's only one word to describe this season.
Disappointing.
Coming off <a href="https://apnews.com/article/ga-state-wire-atlanta-hawks-milwaukee-bucks-nba-sports-8d827eabf721d1b06d7207da48def57a">a surprising run to the Eastern Conference final</a> in the summer of 2021, the Hawks entered this season thinking of themselves as a potential championship contender.
Instead, they took a big step backward, spending much of the year under .500 before a late surge got them into the play-in tournament with the ninth-best record in the conference.
The Hawks won two straight in the tournament &mdash; including <a href="https://apnews.com/article/cleveland-cavaliers-atlanta-hawks-nba-sports-trae-young-c10ce79815156de0cb02475b8b93805f">a road victory</a> at Cleveland &mdash; to take the No. 8 playoff seed, but they were no match for the Miami Heat in the opening round of the playoffs.
Atlanta lasted only five games, finished off by <a href="https://apnews.com/article/miami-heat-atlanta-hawks-nba-sports-1c8157e72efbe6347914f1dcb55626fc">a 97-94 defeat</a> Tuesday night.
It really wasn't a surprising result, given the Hawks lack of consistency during the regular season.
There were some obvious culprits &mdash; a rash of injuries, not to mention a COVID-19 outbreak that forced the team to essentially rely on a G-League roster just to take the court &mdash; but there were also mysterious lapses in effort that no one could put a finger on.
&ldquo;We have to play better during the regular season to put ourselves in a better ranking, a better position to approach the playoffs,&rdquo; Danilo Gallinari said. &ldquo;We let a lot of games go. We had too many ups and down during the season. When it's playoff time, you can't take games off, minutes off. You've got to play every game the same way.&rdquo;
From a summer filled with hope, the Hawks head into an offseason that looks much more tumultuous.
&ldquo;It was a tough season. This was not a good result,&rdquo; Gallinari said. &ldquo;Where do we go from here? I have no idea.&rdquo;
MAJOR MOVES?
When the Hawks were struggling at the trade deadline, general manager Travis Schlenk passed on the chance for a major overhaul. The only deal he made was sending Cam Reddish to the New York Knicks for little-used Kevin Knox and a protected first-round ick.
Now that he's seen his team's body of work over an entire season, Schlenk will likely go for much bigger changes this offseason. After all the optimism generated by the 2021 postseason run, it seems clear the current roster isn't capable of competing for a championship.
John Collins, just one year into a five-year, $125 million contract, has been mentioned frequently as potential trade fodder.
TYING UP TRAE
After becoming just the second player in NBA history to lead the league in total points and assists, Trae Young endured a miserable playoff series against the Heat.
Miami limited Young to just 15.4 points per game, twice holding him to single digits. He shot just 32% from the field (22 of 69) and had as many turnovers as assists (30 apiece).
Young and the Hawks must figure out a way to get him more involved away from the ball and come up with ways to produce offense when the other team is intent on shutting down Atlanta's best player.
&ldquo;This is part of my growth,&rdquo; the 23-year-old Young said. &ldquo;The next time I face this sort of challenge, I'm gonna be better.&rdquo;
ANOTHER STAR
With no one on the current roster who seems capable of taking the scoring load off Young on a consistent basis, the Hawks may look to bring in another top-level player to complement their young star.
The Hawks have an abundance of role players, but no really elite player beyond Young. There were far too many nights when they looked like a one-man team.
CONTRACT DECISIONS
This summer, the Hawks must decide what sort of commitment to make to De'Andre Hunter, who closed the season with a career-best 35 points in the Game 5 loss to the Heat.
The Hawks love Hunter's defense and believe he can become more of a force offensively, but he's battled injuries and inconsistency over his first three seasons in the league.
Now, he's eligible for a rookie extension worth up to $184 million over five years.
The Hawks already have big money tied up in players who struggled to meet expectations this season, including Collins, Gallinari, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Clint Capela and Kevin Huerter.
BIG O
The Hawks will be looking for ways to get Onyeka Okongwu a bigger role.
Only 21, the undersized center missed the first part of the season recovering from shoulder surgery but played well as his minutes increased down the stretch.
He'll spend this offseason looking for ways to expand his offensive repertoire.

The Atlanta Hawks fought hard just to make the playoffs.
They battled to the very last second against the top-seeded team in the East.
But in the end, there's only one word to describe this season.
Disappointing.
Coming off <a href="https://apnews.com/article/ga-state-wire-atlanta-hawks-milwaukee-bucks-nba-sports-8d827eabf721d1b06d7207da48def57a">a surprising run to the Eastern Conference final</a> in the summer of 2021, the Hawks entered this season thinking of themselves as a potential championship contender.
Instead, they took a big step backward, spending much of the year under .500 before a late surge got them into the play-in tournament with the ninth-best record in the conference.
The Hawks won two straight in the tournament &mdash; including <a href="https://apnews.com/article/cleveland-cavaliers-atlanta-hawks-nba-sports-trae-young-c10ce79815156de0cb02475b8b93805f">a road victory</a> at Cleveland &mdash; to take the No. 8 playoff seed, but they were no match for the Miami Heat in the opening round of the playoffs.
Atlanta lasted only five games, finished off by <a href="https://apnews.com/article/miami-heat-atlanta-hawks-nba-sports-1c8157e72efbe6347914f1dcb55626fc">a 97-94 defeat</a> Tuesday night.
It really wasn't a surprising result, given the Hawks lack of consistency during the regular season.
There were some obvious culprits &mdash; a rash of injuries, not to mention a COVID-19 outbreak that forced the team to essentially rely on a G-League roster just to take the court &mdash; but there were also mysterious lapses in effort that no one could put a finger on.
&ldquo;We have to play better during the regular season to put ourselves in a better ranking, a better position to approach the playoffs,&rdquo; Danilo Gallinari said. &ldquo;We let a lot of games go. We had too many ups and down during the season. When it's playoff time, you can't take games off, minutes off. You've got to play every game the same way.&rdquo;
From a summer filled with hope, the Hawks head into an offseason that looks much more tumultuous.
&ldquo;It was a tough season. This was not a good result,&rdquo; Gallinari said. &ldquo;Where do we go from here? I have no idea.&rdquo;
MAJOR MOVES?
When the Hawks were struggling at the trade deadline, general manager Travis Schlenk passed on the chance for a major overhaul. The only deal he made was sending Cam Reddish to the New York Knicks for little-used Kevin Knox and a protected first-round ick.
Now that he's seen his team's body of work over an entire season, Schlenk will likely go for much bigger changes this offseason. After all the optimism generated by the 2021 postseason run, it seems clear the current roster isn't capable of competing for a championship.
John Collins, just one year into a five-year, $125 million contract, has been mentioned frequently as potential trade fodder.
TYING UP TRAE
After becoming just the second player in NBA history to lead the league in total points and assists, Trae Young endured a miserable playoff series against the Heat.
Miami limited Young to just 15.4 points per game, twice holding him to single digits. He shot just 32% from the field (22 of 69) and had as many turnovers as assists (30 apiece).
Young and the Hawks must figure out a way to get him more involved away from the ball and come up with ways to produce offense when the other team is intent on shutting down Atlanta's best player.
&ldquo;This is part of my growth,&rdquo; the 23-year-old Young said. &ldquo;The next time I face this sort of challenge, I'm gonna be better.&rdquo;
ANOTHER STAR
With no one on the current roster who seems capable of taking the scoring load off Young on a consistent basis, the Hawks may look to bring in another top-level player to complement their young star.
The Hawks have an abundance of role players, but no really elite player beyond Young. There were far too many nights when they looked like a one-man team.
CONTRACT DECISIONS
This summer, the Hawks must decide what sort of commitment to make to De'Andre Hunter, who closed the season with a career-best 35 points in the Game 5 loss to the Heat.
The Hawks love Hunter's defense and believe he can become more of a force offensively, but he's battled injuries and inconsistency over his first three seasons in the league.
Now, he's eligible for a rookie extension worth up to $184 million over five years.
The Hawks already have big money tied up in players who struggled to meet expectations this season, including Collins, Gallinari, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Clint Capela and Kevin Huerter.
BIG O
The Hawks will be looking for ways to get Onyeka Okongwu a bigger role.
Only 21, the undersized center missed the first part of the season recovering from shoulder surgery but played well as his minutes increased down the stretch.
He'll spend this offseason looking for ways to expand his offensive repertoire.

The Atlanta Hawks fought hard just to make the playoffs.
They battled to the very last second against the top-seeded team in the East.
But in the end, there's only one word to describe this season.
Disappointing.
Coming off <a href="https://apnews.com/article/ga-state-wire-atlanta-hawks-milwaukee-bucks-nba-sports-8d827eabf721d1b06d7207da48def57a">a surprising run to the Eastern Conference final</a> in the summer of 2021, the Hawks entered this season thinking of themselves as a potential championship contender.
Instead, they took a big step backward, spending much of the year under .500 before a late surge got them into the play-in tournament with the ninth-best record in the conference.
The Hawks won two straight in the tournament &mdash; including <a href="https://apnews.com/article/cleveland-cavaliers-atlanta-hawks-nba-sports-trae-young-c10ce79815156de0cb02475b8b93805f">a road victory</a> at Cleveland &mdash; to take the No. 8 playoff seed, but they were no match for the Miami Heat in the opening round of the playoffs.
Atlanta lasted only five games, finished off by <a href="https://apnews.com/article/miami-heat-atlanta-hawks-nba-sports-1c8157e72efbe6347914f1dcb55626fc">a 97-94 defeat</a> Tuesday night.
It really wasn't a surprising result, given the Hawks lack of consistency during the regular season.
There were some obvious culprits &mdash; a rash of injuries, not to mention a COVID-19 outbreak that forced the team to essentially rely on a G-League roster just to take the court &mdash; but there were also mysterious lapses in effort that no one could put a finger on.
&ldquo;We have to play better during the regular season to put ourselves in a better ranking, a better position to approach the playoffs,&rdquo; Danilo Gallinari said. &ldquo;We let a lot of games go. We had too many ups and down during the season. When it's playoff time, you can't take games off, minutes off. You've got to play every game the same way.&rdquo;
From a summer filled with hope, the Hawks head into an offseason that looks much more tumultuous.
&ldquo;It was a tough season. This was not a good result,&rdquo; Gallinari said. &ldquo;Where do we go from here? I have no idea.&rdquo;
MAJOR MOVES?
When the Hawks were struggling at the trade deadline, general manager Travis Schlenk passed on the chance for a major overhaul. The only deal he made was sending Cam Reddish to the New York Knicks for little-used Kevin Knox and a protected first-round ick.
Now that he's seen his team's body of work over an entire season, Schlenk will likely go for much bigger changes this offseason. After all the optimism generated by the 2021 postseason run, it seems clear the current roster isn't capable of competing for a championship.
John Collins, just one year into a five-year, $125 million contract, has been mentioned frequently as potential trade fodder.
TYING UP TRAE
After becoming just the second player in NBA history to lead the league in total points and assists, Trae Young endured a miserable playoff series against the Heat.
Miami limited Young to just 15.4 points per game, twice holding him to single digits. He shot just 32% from the field (22 of 69) and had as many turnovers as assists (30 apiece).
Young and the Hawks must figure out a way to get him more involved away from the ball and come up with ways to produce offense when the other team is intent on shutting down Atlanta's best player.
&ldquo;This is part of my growth,&rdquo; the 23-year-old Young said. &ldquo;The next time I face this sort of challenge, I'm gonna be better.&rdquo;
ANOTHER STAR
With no one on the current roster who seems capable of taking the scoring load off Young on a consistent basis, the Hawks may look to bring in another top-level player to complement their young star.
The Hawks have an abundance of role players, but no really elite player beyond Young. There were far too many nights when they looked like a one-man team.
CONTRACT DECISIONS
This summer, the Hawks must decide what sort of commitment to make to De'Andre Hunter, who closed the season with a career-best 35 points in the Game 5 loss to the Heat.
The Hawks love Hunter's defense and believe he can become more of a force offensively, but he's battled injuries and inconsistency over his first three seasons in the league.
Now, he's eligible for a rookie extension worth up to $184 million over five years.
The Hawks already have big money tied up in players who struggled to meet expectations this season, including Collins, Gallinari, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Clint Capela and Kevin Huerter.
BIG O
The Hawks will be looking for ways to get Onyeka Okongwu a bigger role.
Only 21, the undersized center missed the first part of the season recovering from shoulder surgery but played well as his minutes increased down the stretch.
He'll spend this offseason looking for ways to expand his offensive repertoire.

The Atlanta Hawks fought hard just to make the playoffs.
They battled to the very last second against the top-seeded team in the East.
But in the end, there's only one word to describe this season.
Disappointing.
Coming off <a href="https://apnews.com/article/ga-state-wire-atlanta-hawks-milwaukee-bucks-nba-sports-8d827eabf721d1b06d7207da48def57a">a surprising run to the Eastern Conference final</a> in the summer of 2021, the Hawks entered this season thinking of themselves as a potential championship contender.
Instead, they took a big step backward, spending much of the year under .500 before a late surge got them into the play-in tournament with the ninth-best record in the conference.
The Hawks won two straight in the tournament &mdash; including <a href="https://apnews.com/article/cleveland-cavaliers-atlanta-hawks-nba-sports-trae-young-c10ce79815156de0cb02475b8b93805f">a road victory</a> at Cleveland &mdash; to take the No. 8 playoff seed, but they were no match for the Miami Heat in the opening round of the playoffs.
Atlanta lasted only five games, finished off by <a href="https://apnews.com/article/miami-heat-atlanta-hawks-nba-sports-1c8157e72efbe6347914f1dcb55626fc">a 97-94 defeat</a> Tuesday night.
It really wasn't a surprising result, given the Hawks lack of consistency during the regular season.
There were some obvious culprits &mdash; a rash of injuries, not to mention a COVID-19 outbreak that forced the team to essentially rely on a G-League roster just to take the court &mdash; but there were also mysterious lapses in effort that no one could put a finger on.
&ldquo;We have to play better during the regular season to put ourselves in a better ranking, a better position to approach the playoffs,&rdquo; Danilo Gallinari said. &ldquo;We let a lot of games go. We had too many ups and down during the season. When it's playoff time, you can't take games off, minutes off. You've got to play every game the same way.&rdquo;
From a summer filled with hope, the Hawks head into an offseason that looks much more tumultuous.
&ldquo;It was a tough season. This was not a good result,&rdquo; Gallinari said. &ldquo;Where do we go from here? I have no idea.&rdquo;
MAJOR MOVES?
When the Hawks were struggling at the trade deadline, general manager Travis Schlenk passed on the chance for a major overhaul. The only deal he made was sending Cam Reddish to the New York Knicks for little-used Kevin Knox and a protected first-round ick.
Now that he's seen his team's body of work over an entire season, Schlenk will likely go for much bigger changes this offseason. After all the optimism generated by the 2021 postseason run, it seems clear the current roster isn't capable of competing for a championship.
John Collins, just one year into a five-year, $125 million contract, has been mentioned frequently as potential trade fodder.
TYING UP TRAE
After becoming just the second player in NBA history to lead the league in total points and assists, Trae Young endured a miserable playoff series against the Heat.
Miami limited Young to just 15.4 points per game, twice holding him to single digits. He shot just 32% from the field (22 of 69) and had as many turnovers as assists (30 apiece).
Young and the Hawks must figure out a way to get him more involved away from the ball and come up with ways to produce offense when the other team is intent on shutting down Atlanta's best player.
&ldquo;This is part of my growth,&rdquo; the 23-year-old Young said. &ldquo;The next time I face this sort of challenge, I'm gonna be better.&rdquo;
ANOTHER STAR
With no one on the current roster who seems capable of taking the scoring load off Young on a consistent basis, the Hawks may look to bring in another top-level player to complement their young star.
The Hawks have an abundance of role players, but no really elite player beyond Young. There were far too many nights when they looked like a one-man team.
CONTRACT DECISIONS
This summer, the Hawks must decide what sort of commitment to make to De'Andre Hunter, who closed the season with a career-best 35 points in the Game 5 loss to the Heat.
The Hawks love Hunter's defense and believe he can become more of a force offensively, but he's battled injuries and inconsistency over his first three seasons in the league.
Now, he's eligible for a rookie extension worth up to $184 million over five years.
The Hawks already have big money tied up in players who struggled to meet expectations this season, including Collins, Gallinari, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Clint Capela and Kevin Huerter.
BIG O
The Hawks will be looking for ways to get Onyeka Okongwu a bigger role.
Only 21, the undersized center missed the first part of the season recovering from shoulder surgery but played well as his minutes increased down the stretch.
He'll spend this offseason looking for ways to expand his offensive repertoire.

The Hawks a big step backward, spending much of the year under .500 before a late surge got them into the Play-In Tournament.

After surprising playoff run, Hawks take a big step backward

ATLANTA (AP) — The Atlanta Hawks never expected to be in this position.
Not after <a href="https://apnews.com/article/ga-state-wire-atlanta-hawks-milwaukee-bucks-nba-sports-8d827eabf721d1b06d7207da48def57a">last summer's Surprising run</a> to the Eastern Conference final.
But here they are, needing to win two play-in games just to make the playoffs.
First up: the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday night in a matchup between the ninth and 10th seeds in the East.
“Our destiny is in our hands," Hawks center Clint Capela said. 
Atlanta was one of the biggest surprises of the 2021 postseason, knocking off both the Knicks and the top-seeded 76ers before losing to the eventual champion Milwaukee Bucks in a highly competitive conference final.
With a young core led by Trae Young, the Hawks set a goal of finishing in the top four in the East this season. Instead, after a year plagued by COVID issues, injuries and a strange lack of chemistry, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-york-knicks-atlanta-hawks-milwaukee-bucks-nba-sports-d384100801dae1e50a25ac311eacbefa">they had to settle</a> for the next-to-last play-in spot.
“We have to live in the moment,” coach Nate McMillan said. “We can't think about all of that. We have a game we have to win."
<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlotte-hornets-washington-wizards-atlanta-hawks-miami-heat-nba-f8aabc07c1007bb2717017faab063239">The Hornets</a> are in the play-in tournament for the second year in a row. While they haven't made the playoffs since 2016, they appear to be a franchise on the rise.
“We feel like we can definitely win and sneak into the playoffs,” guard Terry Rozier said. 
The winner of the 9-10 game advances to a road contest Friday against the loser of the 7-8 game between Brooklyn and Cleveland for the final playoff spot in the East.
“We've still got a chance to make the playoffs,” Young said. “We've got to take advantage of it.”
COLLINS UPDATE
The Hawks have been without one of their top players, John Collins, since March 11 because of a sprained foot and an injured finger. 
Collins has stepped up his rehab in recent days, including some 4-on-4 workouts.
Coach Nate McMillan said he's not sure if Collins will be able to play limited minutes against the Hornets, but the Hawks are preparing to go without him.
“He's been out for so long," McMillan said. "The focus is on the guys that we do have in uniform. If we're lucky enough to get him back, we'll talk about that and adjust to that.”
PLAY-IN REDUX
The Hornets had 10 more victories than a year ago in the abbreviated 72-game schedule, but they still finished 10th in the East for the second straight season.
In the 2021 play-in game, Charlotte was routed 144-117 by ninth-seeded Indiana. Several Hornets players have talked about the sting of that loss providing momentum coming into this season.
Charlotte is healthier and playing much better than it was a year ago. The Hornets won 11 of their last 15 games.
“Most years we would be the seven or the eight seed — most years — but this year the East was more competitive," Hornets coach James Borrego said. “I am really proud of this group.”
SMALL BALL
Led by guards LaMelo Ball and Rozier, the Hornets ranked fourth in the league in scoring (115.3 points per game) and have been especially effective when going with a small lineup.
Charlotte can really get out and run when 6-foot-7 P.J. Washington and 6-6 Miles Bridges are playing the center and power forward positions.
“They play small and they play fast,” said McMillan, whose own team ranked sixth in the league in scoring (113.9). “They are a team that wants to get out in transition."
DOUBLING TRAE
Young had a historic season, becoming only the second player in NBA history after Tiny Archibald to lead the league in both total points (2,155) and assists (737).
The Hornets had good success against Young in their final regular-season matchup, using a wave of double teams to hold him to a season-low 9 points on 3-of-12 shooting. 
Young did manage to dish out 15 assists in that game.
“We can’t let him breath,” Rozier said. “He’s a pretty confident player, but we just have to make it tough for him.”
HOME EDGE 
The Hawks claimed the No. 9 seed on a tiebreaker with the Hornets, which is why this game is being played in Atlanta.
That's a big break for the Hawks, who were much better at home (27-14) than they were on the road (16-25).
The Hornets, by comparison, had virtually the same record in Charlotte (22-19) as they did away from home (21-20).
“Whenever we play at home, we are much more confident, the energy is better, the focus is better,” Capela said. “To get that first game at home, it's a huge advantage for us.”
___
Follow Paul Newberry on Twitter at https://twitter.com/pnewberry1963
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

The Atlanta Hawks never expected to be in this position.
Not after <a href="https://apnews.com/article/ga-state-wire-atlanta-hawks-milwaukee-bucks-nba-sports-8d827eabf721d1b06d7207da48def57a">last summer's Surprising run</a> to the Eastern Conference final.
But here they are, needing to win two play-in games just to make the playoffs.
First up: the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday night in a matchup between the ninth and 10th seeds in the East.
&ldquo;Our destiny is in our hands," Hawks center Clint Capela said.
Atlanta was one of the biggest surprises of the 2021 postseason, knocking off both the Knicks and the top-seeded 76ers before losing to the eventual champion Milwaukee Bucks in a highly competitive conference final.
With a young core led by Trae Young, the Hawks set a goal of finishing in the top four in the East this season. Instead, after a year plagued by COVID issues, injuries and a strange lack of chemistry, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-york-knicks-atlanta-hawks-milwaukee-bucks-nba-sports-d384100801dae1e50a25ac311eacbefa">they had to settle</a> for the next-to-last play-in spot.
&ldquo;We have to live in the moment,&rdquo; coach Nate McMillan said. &ldquo;We can't think about all of that. We have a game we have to win."
<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlotte-hornets-washington-wizards-atlanta-hawks-miami-heat-nba-f8aabc07c1007bb2717017faab063239">The Hornets</a> are in the play-in tournament for the second year in a row. While they haven't made the playoffs since 2016, they appear to be a franchise on the rise.
&ldquo;We feel like we can definitely win and sneak into the playoffs,&rdquo; guard Terry Rozier said.
The winner of the 9-10 game advances to a road contest Friday against the loser of the 7-8 game between Brooklyn and Cleveland for the final playoff spot in the East.
&ldquo;We've still got a chance to make the playoffs,&rdquo; Young said. &ldquo;We've got to take advantage of it.&rdquo;
COLLINS UPDATE
The Hawks have been without one of their top players, John Collins, since March 11 because of a sprained foot and an injured finger.
Collins has stepped up his rehab in recent days, including some 4-on-4 workouts.
Coach Nate McMillan said he's not sure if Collins will be able to play limited minutes against the Hornets, but the Hawks are preparing to go without him.
&ldquo;He's been out for so long," McMillan said. "The focus is on the guys that we do have in uniform. If we're lucky enough to get him back, we'll talk about that and adjust to that.&rdquo;
PLAY-IN REDUX
The Hornets had 10 more victories than a year ago in the abbreviated 72-game schedule, but they still finished 10th in the East for the second straight season.
In the 2021 play-in game, Charlotte was routed 144-117 by ninth-seeded Indiana. Several Hornets players have talked about the sting of that loss providing momentum coming into this season.
Charlotte is healthier and playing much better than it was a year ago. The Hornets won 11 of their last 15 games.
&ldquo;Most years we would be the seven or the eight seed &mdash; most years &mdash; but this year the East was more competitive," Hornets coach James Borrego said. &ldquo;I am really proud of this group.&rdquo;
SMALL BALL
Led by guards LaMelo Ball and Rozier, the Hornets ranked fourth in the league in scoring (115.3 points per game) and have been especially effective when going with a small lineup.
Charlotte can really get out and run when 6-foot-7 P.J. Washington and 6-6 Miles Bridges are playing the center and power forward positions.
&ldquo;They play small and they play fast,&rdquo; said McMillan, whose own team ranked sixth in the league in scoring (113.9). &ldquo;They are a team that wants to get out in transition."
DOUBLING TRAE
Young had a historic season, becoming only the second player in NBA history after Tiny Archibald to lead the league in both total points (2,155) and assists (737).
The Hornets had good success against Young in their final regular-season matchup, using a wave of double teams to hold him to a season-low 9 points on 3-of-12 shooting.
Young did manage to dish out 15 assists in that game.
&ldquo;We can&rsquo;t let him breath,&rdquo; Rozier said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a pretty confident player, but we just have to make it tough for him.&rdquo;
HOME EDGE
The Hawks claimed the No. 9 seed on a tiebreaker with the Hornets, which is why this game is being played in Atlanta.
That's a big break for the Hawks, who were much better at home (27-14) than they were on the road (16-25).
The Hornets, by comparison, had virtually the same record in Charlotte (22-19) as they did away from home (21-20).
&ldquo;Whenever we play at home, we are much more confident, the energy is better, the focus is better,&rdquo; Capela said. &ldquo;To get that first game at home, it's a huge advantage for us.&rdquo;
___
Follow Paul Newberry on Twitter at https://twitter.com/pnewberry1963
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

The Atlanta Hawks never expected to be in this position.
Not after <a href="https://apnews.com/article/ga-state-wire-atlanta-hawks-milwaukee-bucks-nba-sports-8d827eabf721d1b06d7207da48def57a">last summer's surprising run</a> to the Eastern Conference final.
But here they are, needing to win two play-in games just to make the playoffs.
First up: the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday night in a matchup between the ninth and 10th seeds in the East.
&ldquo;Our destiny is in our hands," Hawks center Clint Capela said.
Atlanta was one of the biggest surprises of the 2021 postseason, knocking off both the Knicks and the top-seeded 76ers before losing to the eventual champion Milwaukee Bucks in a highly competitive conference final.
With a young core led by Trae Young, the Hawks set a goal of finishing in the top four in the East this season. Instead, after a year plagued by COVID issues, injuries and a strange lack of chemistry, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-york-knicks-atlanta-hawks-milwaukee-bucks-nba-sports-d384100801dae1e50a25ac311eacbefa">they had to settle</a> for the next-to-last play-in spot.
&ldquo;We have to live in the moment,&rdquo; coach Nate McMillan said. &ldquo;We can't think about all of that. We have a game we have to win."
<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlotte-hornets-washington-wizards-atlanta-hawks-miami-heat-nba-f8aabc07c1007bb2717017faab063239">The Hornets</a> are in the play-in tournament for the second year in a row. While they haven't made the playoffs since 2016, they appear to be a franchise on the rise.
&ldquo;We feel like we can definitely win and sneak into the playoffs,&rdquo; guard Terry Rozier said.
The winner of the 9-10 game advances to a road contest Friday against the loser of the 7-8 game between Brooklyn and Cleveland for the final playoff spot in the East.
&ldquo;We've still got a chance to make the playoffs,&rdquo; Young said. &ldquo;We've got to take advantage of it.&rdquo;
COLLINS UPDATE
The Hawks have been without one of their top players, John Collins, since March 11 because of a sprained foot and an injured finger.
Collins has stepped up his rehab in recent days, including some 4-on-4 workouts.
Coach Nate McMillan said he's not sure if Collins will be able to play limited minutes against the Hornets, but the Hawks are preparing to go without him.
&ldquo;He's been out for so long," McMillan said. "The focus is on the guys that we do have in uniform. If we're lucky enough to get him back, we'll talk about that and adjust to that.&rdquo;
PLAY-IN REDUX
The Hornets had 10 more victories than a year ago in the abbreviated 72-game schedule, but they still finished 10th in the East for the second straight season.
In the 2021 play-in game, Charlotte was routed 144-117 by ninth-seeded Indiana. Several Hornets players have talked about the sting of that loss providing momentum coming into this season.
Charlotte is healthier and playing much better than it was a year ago. The Hornets won 11 of their last 15 games.
&ldquo;Most years we would be the seven or the eight seed &mdash; most years &mdash; but this year the East was more competitive," Hornets coach James Borrego said. &ldquo;I am really proud of this group.&rdquo;
SMALL BALL
Led by guards LaMelo Ball and Rozier, the Hornets ranked fourth in the league in scoring (115.3 points per game) and have been especially effective when going with a small lineup.
Charlotte can really get out and run when 6-foot-7 P.J. Washington and 6-6 Miles Bridges are playing the center and power forward positions.
&ldquo;They play small and they play fast,&rdquo; said McMillan, whose own team ranked sixth in the league in scoring (113.9). &ldquo;They are a team that wants to get out in transition."
DOUBLING TRAE
Young had a historic season, becoming only the second player in NBA history after Tiny Archibald to lead the league in both total points (2,155) and assists (737).
The Hornets had good success against Young in their final regular-season matchup, using a wave of double teams to hold him to a season-low 9 points on 3-of-12 shooting.
Young did manage to dish out 15 assists in that game.
&ldquo;We can&rsquo;t let him breath,&rdquo; Rozier said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a pretty confident player, but we just have to make it tough for him.&rdquo;
HOME EDGE
The Hawks claimed the No. 9 seed on a tiebreaker with the Hornets, which is why this game is being played in Atlanta.
That's a big break for the Hawks, who were much better at home (27-14) than they were on the road (16-25).
The Hornets, by comparison, had virtually the same record in Charlotte (22-19) as they did away from home (21-20).
&ldquo;Whenever we play at home, we are much more confident, the energy is better, the focus is better,&rdquo; Capela said. &ldquo;To get that first game at home, it's a huge advantage for us.&rdquo;

The Atlanta Hawks never expected to be in this position.
Not after <a href="https://apnews.com/article/ga-state-wire-atlanta-hawks-milwaukee-bucks-nba-sports-8d827eabf721d1b06d7207da48def57a">last summer's surprising run</a> to the Eastern Conference final.
But here they are, needing to win two play-in games just to make the playoffs.
First up: the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday night in a matchup between the ninth and 10th seeds in the East.
&ldquo;Our destiny is in our hands," Hawks center Clint Capela said.
Atlanta was one of the biggest surprises of the 2021 postseason, knocking off both the Knicks and the top-seeded 76ers before losing to the eventual champion Milwaukee Bucks in a highly competitive conference final.
With a young core led by Trae Young, the Hawks set a goal of finishing in the top four in the East this season. Instead, after a year plagued by COVID issues, injuries and a strange lack of chemistry, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-york-knicks-atlanta-hawks-milwaukee-bucks-nba-sports-d384100801dae1e50a25ac311eacbefa">they had to settle</a> for the next-to-last play-in spot.
&ldquo;We have to live in the moment,&rdquo; coach Nate McMillan said. &ldquo;We can't think about all of that. We have a game we have to win."
<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlotte-hornets-washington-wizards-atlanta-hawks-miami-heat-nba-f8aabc07c1007bb2717017faab063239">The Hornets</a> are in the play-in tournament for the second year in a row. While they haven't made the playoffs since 2016, they appear to be a franchise on the rise.
&ldquo;We feel like we can definitely win and sneak into the playoffs,&rdquo; guard Terry Rozier said.
The winner of the 9-10 game advances to a road contest Friday against the loser of the 7-8 game between Brooklyn and Cleveland for the final playoff spot in the East.
&ldquo;We've still got a chance to make the playoffs,&rdquo; Young said. &ldquo;We've got to take advantage of it.&rdquo;
COLLINS UPDATE
The Hawks have been without one of their top players, John Collins, since March 11 because of a sprained foot and an injured finger.
Collins has stepped up his rehab in recent days, including some 4-on-4 workouts.
Coach Nate McMillan said he's not sure if Collins will be able to play limited minutes against the Hornets, but the Hawks are preparing to go without him.
&ldquo;He's been out for so long," McMillan said. "The focus is on the guys that we do have in uniform. If we're lucky enough to get him back, we'll talk about that and adjust to that.&rdquo;
PLAY-IN REDUX
The Hornets had 10 more victories than a year ago in the abbreviated 72-game schedule, but they still finished 10th in the East for the second straight season.
In the 2021 play-in game, Charlotte was routed 144-117 by ninth-seeded Indiana. Several Hornets players have talked about the sting of that loss providing momentum coming into this season.
Charlotte is healthier and playing much better than it was a year ago. The Hornets won 11 of their last 15 games.
&ldquo;Most years we would be the seven or the eight seed &mdash; most years &mdash; but this year the East was more competitive," Hornets coach James Borrego said. &ldquo;I am really proud of this group.&rdquo;
SMALL BALL
Led by guards LaMelo Ball and Rozier, the Hornets ranked fourth in the league in scoring (115.3 points per game) and have been especially effective when going with a small lineup.
Charlotte can really get out and run when 6-foot-7 P.J. Washington and 6-6 Miles Bridges are playing the center and power forward positions.
&ldquo;They play small and they play fast,&rdquo; said McMillan, whose own team ranked sixth in the league in scoring (113.9). &ldquo;They are a team that wants to get out in transition."
DOUBLING TRAE
Young had a historic season, becoming only the second player in NBA history after Tiny Archibald to lead the league in both total points (2,155) and assists (737).
The Hornets had good success against Young in their final regular-season matchup, using a wave of double teams to hold him to a season-low 9 points on 3-of-12 shooting.
Young did manage to dish out 15 assists in that game.
&ldquo;We can&rsquo;t let him breath,&rdquo; Rozier said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a pretty confident player, but we just have to make it tough for him.&rdquo;
HOME EDGE
The Hawks claimed the No. 9 seed on a tiebreaker with the Hornets, which is why this game is being played in Atlanta.
That's a big break for the Hawks, who were much better at home (27-14) than they were on the road (16-25).
The Hornets, by comparison, had virtually the same record in Charlotte (22-19) as they did away from home (21-20).
&ldquo;Whenever we play at home, we are much more confident, the energy is better, the focus is better,&rdquo; Capela said. &ldquo;To get that first game at home, it's a huge advantage for us.&rdquo;

The Atlanta Hawks never expected to be in this position.
Not after <a href="https://apnews.com/article/ga-state-wire-atlanta-hawks-milwaukee-bucks-nba-sports-8d827eabf721d1b06d7207da48def57a">last summer's surprising run</a> to the Eastern Conference final.
But here they are, needing to win two play-in games just to make the playoffs.
First up: the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday night in a matchup between the ninth and 10th seeds in the East.
&ldquo;Our destiny is in our hands," Hawks center Clint Capela said.
Atlanta was one of the biggest surprises of the 2021 postseason, knocking off both the Knicks and the top-seeded 76ers before losing to the eventual champion Milwaukee Bucks in a highly competitive conference final.
With a young core led by Trae Young, the Hawks set a goal of finishing in the top four in the East this season. Instead, after a year plagued by COVID issues, injuries and a strange lack of chemistry, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-york-knicks-atlanta-hawks-milwaukee-bucks-nba-sports-d384100801dae1e50a25ac311eacbefa">they had to settle</a> for the next-to-last play-in spot.
&ldquo;We have to live in the moment,&rdquo; coach Nate McMillan said. &ldquo;We can't think about all of that. We have a game we have to win."
<a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlotte-hornets-washington-wizards-atlanta-hawks-miami-heat-nba-f8aabc07c1007bb2717017faab063239">The Hornets</a> are in the play-in tournament for the second year in a row. While they haven't made the playoffs since 2016, they appear to be a franchise on the rise.
&ldquo;We feel like we can definitely win and sneak into the playoffs,&rdquo; guard Terry Rozier said.
The winner of the 9-10 game advances to a road contest Friday against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
&ldquo;We've still got a chance to make the playoffs,&rdquo; Young said. &ldquo;We've got to take advantage of it.&rdquo;
COLLINS UPDATE
The Hawks have been without one of their top players, John Collins, since March 11 because of a sprained foot and an injured finger.
Collins has stepped up his rehab in recent days, including some 4-on-4 workouts.
Coach Nate McMillan said he's not sure if Collins will be able to play limited minutes against the Hornets, but the Hawks are preparing to go without him.
&ldquo;He's been out for so long," McMillan said. "The focus is on the guys that we do have in uniform. If we're lucky enough to get him back, we'll talk about that and adjust to that.&rdquo;
PLAY-IN REDUX
The Hornets had 10 more victories than a year ago in the abbreviated 72-game schedule, but they still finished 10th in the East for the second straight season.
In the 2021 play-in game, Charlotte was routed 144-117 by ninth-seeded Indiana. Several Hornets players have talked about the sting of that loss providing momentum coming into this season.
Charlotte is healthier and playing much better than it was a year ago. The Hornets won 11 of their last 15 games.
&ldquo;Most years we would be the seven or the eight seed &mdash; most years &mdash; but this year the East was more competitive," Hornets coach James Borrego said. &ldquo;I am really proud of this group.&rdquo;
SMALL BALL
Led by guards LaMelo Ball and Rozier, the Hornets ranked fourth in the league in scoring (115.3 points per game) and have been especially effective when going with a small lineup.
Charlotte can really get out and run when 6-foot-7 P.J. Washington and 6-6 Miles Bridges are playing the center and power forward positions.
&ldquo;They play small and they play fast,&rdquo; said McMillan, whose own team ranked sixth in the league in scoring (113.9). &ldquo;They are a team that wants to get out in transition."
DOUBLING TRAE
Young had a historic season, becoming only the second player in NBA history after Tiny Archibald to lead the league in both total points (2,155) and assists (737).
The Hornets had good success against Young in their final regular-season matchup, using a wave of double teams to hold him to a season-low 9 points on 3-of-12 shooting.
Young did manage to dish out 15 assists in that game.
&ldquo;We can&rsquo;t let him breath,&rdquo; Rozier said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a pretty confident player, but we just have to make it tough for him.&rdquo;
HOME EDGE
The Hawks claimed the No. 9 seed on a tiebreaker with the Hornets, which is why this game is being played in Atlanta.
That's a big break for the Hawks, who were much better at home (27-14) than they were on the road (16-25).
The Hornets, by comparison, had virtually the same record in Charlotte (22-19) as they did away from home (21-20).
&ldquo;Whenever we play at home, we are much more confident, the energy is better, the focus is better,&rdquo; Capela said. &ldquo;To get that first game at home, it's a huge advantage for us.&rdquo;

The Hawks are set to square off against the Hornets, and need two wins to make back-to-back postseason appearances.

After run to East finals, Hawks face Play-In game vs. Hornets

ATLANTA (AP) — The Atlanta Hawks had such high hopes. 
After a surprising playoff run that came up just short of the NBA Finals, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/ga-state-wire-atlanta-hawks-milwaukee-bucks-nba-sports-8d827eabf721d1b06d7207da48def57a">they came into this season</a> with a deep roster led by one of the league's most exciting young players.
Yet now, with only a handful of games remaining, Trae Young and the Hawk are limping toward the postseason with no prospects beyond a play-in spot and nothing to indicate they'll be hanging around very long in April.
Of the NBA's most disappointing teams, the Hawks are near the top of the list.
“We still have an opportunity,” insisted coach Nate McMillan, whose team is 36-37 and 10th in the Eastern Conference, the final play-in spot. “The goal is to get ourselves in the playoffs. Once you get there, we showed last year that anything can happen.” 
Only last year, the Hawks rolled into the playoffs as one of the league's hottest teams, flipping a switch when McMillan took over for Lloyd Pierce.
They went 27-11 after the coaching change, grabbing a No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference.
They kept up that momentum in the playoffs, romping past the New York Knicks in what became Young's (Madison Square) Garden party, stunning the top-seeded Philadelphia 76ers in seven games (effectively finishing off The Process), and <a href="https://apnews.com/article/atlanta-hawks-phoenix-suns-milwaukee-bucks-nba-finals-nba-86a45418b2bf41ffcd7e53a00e0f7044">taking the eventual NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks</a> to six games in the East final.
If Young had not twisted an ankle in a freak collision with a referee, the Hawks very well could have knocked off the Bucks and advanced to the NBA Finals for the first time since moving to Atlanta in 1968.
Suddenly, the A-T-L went from a sleepy backwater NBA city that generally ranked near the bottom of the league in attendance to abuzz with excitement — especially after the team locked up cornerstones <a href="nba.com/news/reports-hawks-trae-young-expected-to-finalize-extension">Young</a> and <a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-nba-atlanta-hawks-john-collins-3641936ced947b00296dc2abb4dbfd84">John Collins</a> with massive contracts.
But this season hasn't come close to meeting expectations.
The Hawks have lingered around .500 all season — never building any sort of momentum, generally playing like a group of strangers, showing very little of the joy and camaraderie that carried them so far last summer.
Their mediocrity has been especially glaring in a year when the Braves gave Atlanta its first World Series title since 1995 and the Georgia Bulldogs won the college football championship.
“Last year for a lot of guys, it was new,” center Cint Capela said. "People don't really realize how hard it is to get there. You’re never guaranteed to go back to the conference finals.”
Young has put up another big season, ranking fourth in the league in scoring (28.1 points per game), but his supporting cast has been perplexingly inconsistent.
Capela has taken a big step backward, leaving the Hawks vulnerable defensively and on the boards. Bogdan Bogdanovic has never looked comfortable taking some of the scoring load off Young. Ditto for Kevin Huerter, who has too many nights when he fails to show up in the box score. Collins may be done for the season with hand and foot injuries. 
Promising wins are generally followed by baffling losses, such as <a href="https://apnews.com/article/atlanta-hawks-nba-sports-toronto-detroit-4f14d2b182f0e9744d20a3770493778c">Wednesday night's 122-101 debacle</a> against lowly Detroit, a 20-53 team that looked like a championship contender against Atlanta 
The Pistons took control with a 23-0 run and led by as many as 29.
The Hawks haven't won back-to-back road games since late December, which doesn't bode well for a team that will likely have to win two straight away from home just to earn its way into the playoffs.
“We know what we've got to do,” Young said. “We've got to stay locked in and try to finish out the season strong and see where it leads us in the end."
There have been some unexplainable losses to the league's weakest teams — three times to the Knicks, twice against the Pistons, not to mention Orlando, Washington, Portland, San Antonio and Houston.
General manager Travis Schlenk, who totally overhauled the roster to set up last year's playoff run, held off on any major changes at this season's trade deadline. <a href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-sports-atlanta-new-york-knicks-atlanta-hawks-7b92f82027b999ad26fd862414456510#:~:text=ATLANTA%20(AP)%20%E2%80%94%20The%20struggling,Knox%20is%20heading%20to%20Atlanta.">His only move</a> was dealing former first-round pick Cam Reddish, who was unhappy with his lack of playing time, to the Knicks.
Now, Schlenk will have to decide if 2021 was an aberration and more big changes are needed.
Capela hopes this season was just an unexpected blip.
“It’s a new process. Sometimes the next season, you put too much pressure on yourselves, so you don’t do as good," he said. “It's the season after that where you do good."
So, Hawks fans, maybe check back again in 2023.
___
Follow Paul Newberry on Twitter at https://twitter.com/pnewberry1963
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

The Atlanta Hawks had such high hopes.
After a surprising playoff run that came up just short of the NBA Finals, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/ga-state-wire-atlanta-hawks-milwaukee-bucks-nba-sports-8d827eabf721d1b06d7207da48def57a">they came into this season</a> with a deep roster led by one of the league's most exciting young players.
Yet now, with only a handful of games remaining, Trae Young and the Hawk are limping toward the postseason with no prospects beyond a play-in spot and nothing to indicate they'll be hanging around very long in April.
Of the NBA's most disappointing teams, the Hawks are near the top of the list.
&ldquo;We still have an opportunity,&rdquo; insisted coach Nate McMillan, whose team is 36-37 and 10th in the Eastern Conference, the final play-in spot. &ldquo;The goal is to get ourselves in the playoffs. Once you get there, we showed last year that anything can happen.&rdquo;
Only last year, the Hawks rolled into the playoffs as one of the league's hottest teams, flipping a switch when McMillan took over for Lloyd Pierce.
They went 27-11 after the coaching change, grabbing a No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference.
They kept up that momentum in the playoffs, romping past the New York Knicks in what became Young's (Madison Square) Garden party, stunning the top-seeded Philadelphia 76ers in seven games (effectively finishing off The Process), and <a href="https://apnews.com/article/atlanta-hawks-phoenix-suns-milwaukee-bucks-nba-finals-nba-86a45418b2bf41ffcd7e53a00e0f7044">taking the eventual NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks</a> to six games in the East final.
If Young had not twisted an ankle in a freak collision with a referee, the Hawks very well could have knocked off the Bucks and advanced to the NBA Finals for the first time since moving to Atlanta in 1968.
Suddenly, the A-T-L went from a sleepy backwater NBA city that generally ranked near the bottom of the league in attendance to abuzz with excitement &mdash; especially after the team locked up cornerstones <a href="nba.com/news/reports-hawks-trae-young-expected-to-finalize-extension">Young</a> and <a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-nba-atlanta-hawks-john-collins-3641936ced947b00296dc2abb4dbfd84">John Collins</a> with massive contracts.
But this season hasn't come close to meeting expectations.
The Hawks have lingered around .500 all season &mdash; never building any sort of momentum, generally playing like a group of strangers, showing very little of the joy and camaraderie that carried them so far last summer.
Their mediocrity has been especially glaring in a year when the Braves gave Atlanta its first World Series title since 1995 and the Georgia Bulldogs won the college football championship.
&ldquo;Last year for a lot of guys, it was new,&rdquo; center Cint Capela said. "People don't really realize how hard it is to get there. You&rsquo;re never guaranteed to go back to the conference finals.&rdquo;
Young has put up another big season, ranking fourth in the league in scoring (28.1 points per game), but his supporting cast has been perplexingly inconsistent.
Capela has taken a big step backward, leaving the Hawks vulnerable defensively and on the boards. Bogdan Bogdanovic has never looked comfortable taking some of the scoring load off Young. Ditto for Kevin Huerter, who has too many nights when he fails to show up in the box score. Collins may be done for the season with hand and foot injuries.
Promising wins are generally followed by baffling losses, such as <a href="https://apnews.com/article/atlanta-hawks-nba-sports-toronto-detroit-4f14d2b182f0e9744d20a3770493778c">Wednesday night's 122-101 debacle</a> against lowly Detroit, a 20-53 team that looked like a championship contender against Atlanta
The Pistons took control with a 23-0 run and led by as many as 29.
The Hawks haven't won back-to-back road games since late December, which doesn't bode well for a team that will likely have to win two straight away from home just to earn its way into the playoffs.
&ldquo;We know what we've got to do,&rdquo; Young said. &ldquo;We've got to stay locked in and try to finish out the season strong and see where it leads us in the end."
There have been some unexplainable losses to the league's weakest teams &mdash; three times to the Knicks, twice against the Pistons, not to mention Orlando, Washington, Portland, San Antonio and Houston.
General manager Travis Schlenk, who totally overhauled the roster to set up last year's playoff run, held off on any major changes at this season's trade deadline. <a href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-sports-atlanta-new-york-knicks-atlanta-hawks-7b92f82027b999ad26fd862414456510#:~:text=ATLANTA%20(AP)%20%E2%80%94%20The%20struggling,Knox%20is%20heading%20to%20Atlanta.">His only move</a> was dealing former first-round pick Cam Reddish, who was unhappy with his lack of playing time, to the Knicks.
Now, Schlenk will have to decide if 2021 was an aberration and more big changes are needed.
Capela hopes this season was just an unexpected blip.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a new process. Sometimes the next season, you put too much pressure on yourselves, so you don&rsquo;t do as good," he said. &ldquo;It's the season after that where you do good."
So, Hawks fans, maybe check back again in 2023.
___
Follow Paul Newberry on Twitter at https://twitter.com/pnewberry1963
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

The Atlanta Hawks had such high hopes.
After a surprising playoff run that came up just short of the NBA Finals, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/ga-state-wire-atlanta-hawks-milwaukee-bucks-nba-sports-8d827eabf721d1b06d7207da48def57a">they came into this season</a> with a deep roster led by one of the league's most exciting young players.
Yet now, with only a handful of games remaining, Trae Young and the Hawk are limping toward the postseason with no prospects beyond a play-in spot and nothing to indicate they'll be hanging around very long in April.
Of the NBA's most disappointing teams, the Hawks are near the top of the list.
&ldquo;We still have an opportunity,&rdquo; insisted coach Nate McMillan, whose team is 36-37 and 10th in the Eastern Conference, the final play-in spot. &ldquo;The goal is to get ourselves in the playoffs. Once you get there, we showed last year that anything can happen.&rdquo;
Only last year, the Hawks rolled into the playoffs as one of the league's hottest teams, flipping a switch when McMillan took over for Lloyd Pierce.
They went 27-11 after the coaching change, grabbing a No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference.
They kept up that momentum in the playoffs, romping past the New York Knicks in what became Young's (Madison Square) Garden party, stunning the top-seeded Philadelphia 76ers in seven games (effectively finishing off The Process), and <a href="https://apnews.com/article/atlanta-hawks-phoenix-suns-milwaukee-bucks-nba-finals-nba-86a45418b2bf41ffcd7e53a00e0f7044">taking the eventual NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks</a> to six games in the East final.
If Young had not twisted an ankle in a freak collision with a referee, the Hawks very well could have knocked off the Bucks and advanced to the NBA Finals for the first time since moving to Atlanta in 1968.
Suddenly, the A-T-L went from a sleepy backwater NBA city that generally ranked near the bottom of the league in attendance to abuzz with excitement &mdash; especially after the team locked up cornerstones <a href="nba.com/news/reports-hawks-trae-young-expected-to-finalize-extension">Young</a> and <a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-nba-atlanta-hawks-john-collins-3641936ced947b00296dc2abb4dbfd84">John Collins</a> with massive contracts.
But this season hasn't come close to meeting expectations.
The Hawks have lingered around .500 all season &mdash; never building any sort of momentum, generally playing like a group of strangers, showing very little of the joy and camaraderie that carried them so far last summer.
Their mediocrity has been especially glaring in a year when the Braves gave Atlanta its first World Series title since 1995 and the Georgia Bulldogs won the college football championship.
&ldquo;Last year for a lot of guys, it was new,&rdquo; center Cint Capela said. "People don't really realize how hard it is to get there. You&rsquo;re never guaranteed to go back to the conference finals.&rdquo;
Young has put up another big season, ranking fourth in the league in scoring (28.1 points per game), but his supporting cast has been perplexingly inconsistent.
Capela has taken a big step backward, leaving the Hawks vulnerable defensively and on the boards. Bogdan Bogdanovic has never looked comfortable taking some of the scoring load off Young. Ditto for Kevin Huerter, who has too many nights when he fails to show up in the box score. Collins may be done for the season with hand and foot injuries.
Promising wins are generally followed by baffling losses, such as <a href="https://apnews.com/article/atlanta-hawks-nba-sports-toronto-detroit-4f14d2b182f0e9744d20a3770493778c">Wednesday night's 122-101 debacle</a> against lowly Detroit, a 20-53 team that looked like a championship contender against Atlanta
The Pistons took control with a 23-0 run and led by as many as 29.
The Hawks haven't won back-to-back road games since late December, which doesn't bode well for a team that will likely have to win two straight away from home just to earn its way into the playoffs.
&ldquo;We know what we've got to do,&rdquo; Young said. &ldquo;We've got to stay locked in and try to finish out the season strong and see where it leads us in the end."
There have been some unexplainable losses to the league's weakest teams &mdash; three times to the Knicks, twice against the Pistons, not to mention Orlando, Washington, Portland, San Antonio and Houston.
General manager Travis Schlenk, who totally overhauled the roster to set up last year's playoff run, held off on any major changes at this season's trade deadline. <a href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-sports-atlanta-new-york-knicks-atlanta-hawks-7b92f82027b999ad26fd862414456510#:~:text=ATLANTA%20(AP)%20%E2%80%94%20The%20struggling,Knox%20is%20heading%20to%20Atlanta.">His only move</a> was dealing former first-round pick Cam Reddish, who was unhappy with his lack of playing time, to the Knicks.
Now, Schlenk will have to decide if 2021 was an aberration and more big changes are needed.
Capela hopes this season was just an unexpected blip.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a new process. Sometimes the next season, you put too much pressure on yourselves, so you don&rsquo;t do as good," he said. &ldquo;It's the season after that where you do good."
So, Hawks fans, maybe check back again in 2023.

The Atlanta Hawks had such high hopes.
After a surprising playoff run that came up just short of the NBA Finals, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/ga-state-wire-atlanta-hawks-milwaukee-bucks-nba-sports-8d827eabf721d1b06d7207da48def57a">they came into this season</a> with a deep roster led by one of the league's most exciting young players.
Yet now, with only a handful of games remaining, Trae Young and the Hawks are limping toward the postseason with no prospects beyond a play-in spot and nothing to indicate they'll be hanging around very long in April.
Of the NBA's most disappointing teams, the Hawks are near the top of the list.
&ldquo;We still have an opportunity,&rdquo; insisted coach Nate McMillan, whose team is 36-37 and 10th in the Eastern Conference, the final play-in spot. &ldquo;The goal is to get ourselves in the playoffs. Once you get there, we showed last year that anything can happen.&rdquo;
Only last year, the Hawks rolled into the playoffs as one of the league's hottest teams, flipping a switch when McMillan took over for Lloyd Pierce.
They went 27-11 after the coaching change, grabbing a No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference.
They kept up that momentum in the playoffs, romping past the New York Knicks in what became Young's (Madison Square) Garden party, stunning the top-seeded Philadelphia 76ers in seven games (effectively finishing off The Process), and <a href="https://apnews.com/article/atlanta-hawks-phoenix-suns-milwaukee-bucks-nba-finals-nba-86a45418b2bf41ffcd7e53a00e0f7044">taking the eventual NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks</a> to six games in the East final.
If Young had not twisted an ankle in a freak collision with a referee, the Hawks very well could have knocked off the Bucks and advanced to the NBA Finals for the first time since moving to Atlanta in 1968.
Suddenly, the A-T-L went from a sleepy backwater NBA city that generally ranked near the bottom of the league in attendance to abuzz with excitement &mdash; especially after the team locked up cornerstones <a href="nba.com/news/reports-hawks-trae-young-expected-to-finalize-extension">Young</a> and <a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-nba-atlanta-hawks-john-collins-3641936ced947b00296dc2abb4dbfd84">John Collins</a> with massive contracts.
But this season hasn't come close to meeting expectations.
The Hawks have lingered around .500 all season &mdash; never building any sort of momentum, generally playing like a group of strangers, showing very little of the joy and camaraderie that carried them so far last summer.
Their mediocrity has been especially glaring in a year when the Braves gave Atlanta its first World Series title since 1995 and the Georgia Bulldogs won the college football championship.
&ldquo;Last year for a lot of guys, it was new,&rdquo; center Cint Capela said. "People don't really realize how hard it is to get there. You&rsquo;re never guaranteed to go back to the conference finals.&rdquo;
Young has put up another big season, ranking fourth in the league in scoring (28.1 points per game), but his supporting cast has been perplexingly inconsistent.
Capela has taken a big step backward, leaving the Hawks vulnerable defensively and on the boards. Bogdan Bogdanovic has never looked comfortable taking some of the scoring load off Young. Ditto for Kevin Huerter, who has too many nights when he fails to show up in the box score. Collins may be done for the season with hand and foot injuries.
Promising wins are generally followed by baffling losses, such as <a href="https://apnews.com/article/atlanta-hawks-nba-sports-toronto-detroit-4f14d2b182f0e9744d20a3770493778c">Wednesday night's 122-101 debacle</a> against lowly Detroit, a 20-53 team that looked like a championship contender against Atlanta
The Pistons took control with a 23-0 run and led by as many as 29.
The Hawks haven't won back-to-back road games since late December, which doesn't bode well for a team that will likely have to win two straight away from home just to earn its way into the playoffs.
&ldquo;We know what we've got to do,&rdquo; Young said. &ldquo;We've got to stay locked in and try to finish out the season strong and see where it leads us in the end."
There have been some unexplainable losses to the league's weakest teams &mdash; three times to the Knicks, twice against the Pistons, not to mention Orlando, Washington, Portland, San Antonio and Houston.
General manager Travis Schlenk, who totally overhauled the roster to set up last year's playoff run, held off on any major changes at this season's trade deadline. <a href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-sports-atlanta-new-york-knicks-atlanta-hawks-7b92f82027b999ad26fd862414456510#:~:text=ATLANTA%20(AP)%20%E2%80%94%20The%20struggling,Knox%20is%20heading%20to%20Atlanta.">His only move</a> was dealing former first-round pick Cam Reddish, who was unhappy with his lack of playing time, to the Knicks.
Now, Schlenk will have to decide if 2021 was an aberration and more big changes are needed.
Capela hopes this season was just an unexpected blip.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a new process. Sometimes the next season, you put too much pressure on yourselves, so you don&rsquo;t do as good," he said. &ldquo;It's the season after that where you do good."
So, Hawks fans, maybe check back again in 2023.

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Paul Newberry is a writer for the Associated Press.