The Atlanta Hawks are currently on a six-game winning streak and are over .500 for the first time since December. They’ve gotten hot at the right time as there’s just over a month left in the season, and there’s still a chance for them to make a run at the Eastern Conference standings.
Things have started to settle down since the All-Star break, and this may be the most locked-in situation the team has been in this season. Nickeil Alexander-Walker feels like a lot is going right for him this season, and it’s a far cry from the way he approached the game earlier in the season.
“These last two games, especially how teams start out hot. I think in the past that would have broken us down, and our defense would continue to crack and then slowly turn into these big holes and gaps,” Alexander-Walker said after their win against the Philadelphia 76ers.
“The focus, how hard we’re playing, even down to a technical foul, something so minor, I don’t think we would have done that in the first half of the season,” Alexander-Walker said. “Now we’re really starting to do that, and it’s a credit to everyone. I think this group is really starting to come together.”
The Hawks have found different ways to win during this streak, and they’ve been consistent for a full 48 minutes. They were unsuccessful against the Milwaukee Bucks and 76ers, but they were able to weather the storm in the second half and turn the game around. He took care of business against the Portland Trail Blazers and Washington Wizards, whose teams were lacking key players.
And it all started against the Brooklyn Nets, where the Hawks trailed with about six minutes left in the game and flipped the switch.
The Hawks are winning games they should be winning, which is a big deal, especially during this time of the season. They’ve gotten contributions from everyone in the rotation, and the guys who were acquired at the deadline have found their spots.
With a few more favorable games coming up on the schedule, the goal for the Hawks is to continue to handle business and focus on what they can control. The situation as far as sixth seed is tight and the chances that they could get there depend on what happens between now and the end of the season.
The biggest thing is that the Hawks are clicking, and they’re doing it at the right time.
#Nichelle #AlexanderWalkers #revelation
