ATLANTA - It seems like in sports you only get respect when you beat good teams. Over the past few weeks, the Atlanta Hawks have been performing consistently well, but some people don't want to validate that after looking at the teams they have beaten.
Brooklyn twice. Washington twice. Dallas. Three teams that are more concerned with their lottery chances than winning games at this point in the season.
The real test for the Hawks would come against the Orlando Magic, who were also on a seven-game winning streak. Just like the Hawks did to almost all of their opponents during their streak, they did the same to the Magic, defeating them 124-112 and extending their streak to 1o games.
Players have heard the conversation, and they knew it was a big win to add to their collection, but it was also big enough to silence the doubters.
"It was a real test against a playoff team," said Nickeil Alexander-Walker. The discussion is going on that 'we did not defeat anyone.' At the end of the day, these are NBA players. These are NBA teams. I will never disrespect whoever they put in front of me. Still, as a team, with how they were progressing, how they went into Miami, and having important games in mid-April, we were aware of the situation.
"Just continuing to handle our business. Over the course of these 10 games, we have approached it as true professionals and with respect for the game."
During this 10-game stretch, the Magic were arguably the toughest team the Hawks faced on paper, but that didn't trouble them at all. They came out firing on all cylinders, and it was Alexander-Walker who set the tone early, finishing the first quarter with 14 points.
It was bleeding in the second quarter, and from the 5-minute mark until the end of the game, the Hawks were ahead by double digits. The Magic tried to counterattack several times throughout the game, but the Hawks made a big blow. This is what they have done to all the teams who have tried to go on a winning streak, and it shows how they are handling adversity.
"It shows that we're still growing. It's resulting in wins right now, and even when we're going through our losses, our main objective is to continue to get better, to continue to move forward, to continue to play for each other. I'm proud of this group. We still have a long way to go, but we'll keep taking it one game at a time and stay focused on that."
Any night with this team can be anyone's night, and this time, it was Alexander-Wacker, as he finished with 41 points. When the Hawks needed a bucket, he was there. He was there when the Magic tried to sneak back in. And he reminded everyone to remain calm.
NAW drills their 9th three and then hits "CALMA" 😮💨😮💨 pic.twitter.com/snuymEveAV
- Atlanta HaWWWWWWWWWWWks (@ATLHawks) 17 March 2026
"He knew that when he got here, we were going to ask a lot of him on a lot of levels," Quin Snyder said. “I think his aggressiveness offensively has been really important.”
"Sometimes your nights go like this. The focus was In right terms Alexander-Walker said, "Being aggressive at the right time. It was an important game, and I knew I just had to come out and give it my all. That's what was on my mind. Just be aggressive, be yourself, try to help the team win, and that's what it turned out to be."
It's uncertain how long this winning streak will continue, but the Hawks are building good habits at the right time, whether they win or lose. This will largely reveal what kind of basketball they are playing in April and how long they can play beyond that.
