Next Two Weeks Will Determine If We Have Any Chance at 2 Seed

[BusBoyIsBack]

Their schedule:

Wed, Mar 17 San Antonio 8:00 PM ESPN

Thu, Mar 18 @ Miami 7:00 PM TNT

Mon, Mar 22 @ Philadelphia 7:00 PM Fox Sports Florida

Wed, Mar 24 @ Atlanta 7:00 PM Sun Sports

Fri, Mar 26 Minnesota 7:00 PM Sun Sports

Sun, Mar 28 Denver 6:00 PM Sun Sports

First and foremost we HAVE to beat them head to head at home. We cannot afford to get swept by them.

We also need them to lose 2 more of those games which could potentially happen between San Antonio, Denver, and Miami on the road.

As far as our end of the bargain, again we have to beat the Magic but we also have to take care of business in playing 9 games during the same stretch that they play 6.

Tue, Mar 16 @ New Jersey 7:30 PM Fox Sports South

Wed, Mar 17 @ Toronto 7:00 PM SportSouth

Fri, Mar 19 Charlotte 7:30 PM SportSouth

Sun, Mar 21 San Antonio 8:00 PM ESPN

Mon, Mar 22 @ Milwaukee 8:00 PM SportSouth

Wed, Mar 24 Orlando 7:00 PM SportSouth

Fri, Mar 26 @ Philadelphia 7:00 PM SportSouth

Sun, Mar 28 Indiana 3:30 PM SportSouth

Wed, Mar 31 LA Lakers 7:00 PM SportSouth

We need to win 7 of those 9 games including Orlando.

And if we go 7-2 and they go 3-3 our records would be

Orlando 50-24

Atlanta 49-25

Talk about a legit shot at catching them the Final Month of the season.

[exodus]

No they won't. The last few weeks determined that the Hawks have no shot at the 2nd seed. The Hawks currently need to make up 4.5 games on Orlando. That isn't going to happen.

Since Christmas the Hawks are 21-15. They had their chance.

[TheTruth]

I agree with Ex wholeheartedly on this one. The Hawks have had their chance to make up some ground, but have largely laid some eggs. Meanwhile, ORL continues to stay hot by going 25-14 since Christmas and 7-1 so far in March. So much for them cooling off...

I think the more appropriate thing to say is that the next two weeks will determine if we have any chance to solidify our spot as the #3 seed. Boston may be inconsistent lately, but with our ability to be just as inconsistent all year, the Celtics have hung around. We really need to do better than .500 ball these last 17 games.

Edited March 15, 2010 by TheTruth

[spotatl]

Now to me the goal is to avoid the Bucks in the first round. They are playing great- Id rather someone else face them.

[RedDawg#8]

No they won't. The last few weeks determined that the Hawks have no shot at the 2nd seed. The Hawks currently need to make up 4.5 games on Orlando. That isn't going to happen.

Since Christmas the Hawks are 21-15. They had their chance.

Not necessarily, True we are 4.5 games back but with the records:

Orlando 47-21

Atlanta 42-23

we are only 2 games back in the loss column. Meaning if they lose more than just 2 games than we do the rest of the way, we tie or finish with a better record. The difference is that we have more games to play (and potentially win) than they do.

Example:

Orlando- 68 games played, 14 left

Atlanta- 65 games played, 17 left

if we go 15-2 and they go 9-5, we finish with a better record. Im not saying its likely but its possible.

[Colin]

Why do people keep saying we're 4.5 back? We are 3.5 back after they lost to Charlotte last night.

They still have to play SAS, MIA, us, Dal, SAS and Cle.

That can be 3-6 losses. We need to beat them, and then go on an improbable, yet, not impossible run. I'm thinking that we'll be 1.5 or 2.5 out when we play them. If we beat them, that puts us at .5 or 1.5 at afterwards, are you saying we can't come back from that?

WE CANNOT lose to the Spurs without Parker, and we cannot lose to the Bucks on that 2nd night of the back-to-back.

[spotatl]

The Hawks tragic number is 12. Any combination of wins by the magic or losses by the hawks that adds up to 12 or more means the Magic get the #2 seed. There are so few games left to make up that ground. Sure its possible but I'd be willing to bet a lot of money against it happening.

Edited March 15, 2010 by spotatl

[exodus]

Why do people keep saying we're 4.5 back? We are 3.5 back after they lost to Charlotte last night.

They still have to play SAS, MIA, us, Dal, SAS and Cle.

That can be 3-6 losses. We need to beat them, and then go on an improbable, yet, not impossible run. I'm thinking that we'll be 1.5 or 2.5 out when we play them. If we beat them, that puts us at .5 or 1.5 at afterwards, are you saying we can't come back from that?

WE CANNOT lose to the Spurs without Parker, and we cannot lose to the Bucks on that 2nd night of the back-to-back.

No. We are 4.5 back because they own the tiebreaker. If we finished tied with them they get the 2nd seed.

Edited March 15, 2010 by exodus

[exodus]

Now to me the goal is to avoid the Bucks in the first round. They are playing great- Id rather someone else face them.

Agreed. They are playing with a lot of energy right now. I watched some of the Utah game. They mean business.

[BusBoyIsBack]

The Hawks tragic number is 12. Any combination of wins by the magic or losses by the hawks that adds up to 12 or more means the Magic get the #2 seed. There are so few games left to make up that ground. Sure its possible but I'd be willing to bet a lot of money against it happening.

Tragic number I like that.

And yeah the 4.5 games seems insurmountable but when you really look at it you see that it has a lot to do with the fact that they've played more games than us at this point.

As point out we are only 2 games back in the loss column. You can go ahead and say 2.5 games back considering they have the tiebreaker.

That's not nearly as insurmountable as it seems on the surface. But again it's all contingent on what we do the next two weeks. We have no chance whatsoever if we don't finish this month strong and beat them head to head at Phillips.

[Antmillennium]

No they won't. The last few weeks determined that the Hawks have no shot at the 2nd seed. The Hawks currently need to make up 4.5 games on Orlando. That isn't going to happen.

Since Christmas the Hawks are 21-15. They had their chance.

I agree. The Hawks have lost games that they've absolutely had no business losing.

[HawkItus]

Atlanta 21-15 since Christmas

Orlando 25-14 since Christmas

You know save for a late Horford shot, the golden state game we'd be sitting practically even as far as play. We are not that far off for all the hell we give this team.

[TheTruth]

Atlanta 21-15 since Christmas

Orlando 25-14 since Christmas

You know save for a late Horford shot, the golden state game we'd be sitting practically even as far as play. We are not that far off for all the hell we give this team.

Maybe, but the bottom line is that our core, as nice as it is, needs more talent around it if we are ever going to be a legit title contender.

[spotatl]

The Hawks do have a very favorable schedule the rest of the way. If the Hawks did go all out to win as many games as possible I do think they would have a shot. But then people here would be KILLING Woodson for not resting the starters enough. I do think its worth it to push to finish 3rd rather than second because I don't want the Bucks in the first round. But I'd rather Woodson give guys extra rest than going all out for the second seed.

[MaceCase]

Better chance at just locking up the 3 seed. Boston is going out on the road with a back to back against Houston then Dallas, going into Utah then coming home for Denver, San Antonio and OKC. We got a game up on them now, we could easily gain another 2 over that stretch given that we face all the better teams at home.

Spot is right, let Boston struggle with the Bucks in the first round.

[BusBoyIsBack]

The Hawks do have a very favorable schedule the rest of the way. If the Hawks did go all out to win as many games as possible I do think they would have a shot. But then people here would be KILLING Woodson for not resting the starters enough. I do think its worth it to push to finish 3rd rather than second because I don't want the Bucks in the first round. But I'd rather Woodson give guys extra rest than going all out for the second seed.

Well if 2nd seed is withing reach we have to go for it. That may be our only chance of beating Orlando. Otherwise we will just have to pull for them to get upset in the 1st round by a Miami.

But again we'll know really really soon how realistic it is for us to have a chance to get that seed. It starts tonight. We need to beat Toronto and they need to lose one of their next two games, would be nice if they could lose them both. But I'll settle for a split to put us only 1 game back in the loss column

[mrhonline]

Unfortunate bump.

[TheTruth]

Especially with ORL's win

[lethalweapon3]

Tragic number's down to ten now, right?

~lw3

[BusBoyIsBack]

Yeah it's pretty much over lol

Im rooting for that 4th seed now

Or maybe the 3rd isn't so bad because we avoid the Bucks

But for sake of discussion, the ONLY chance we have now is if the Magic lose tomorrow vs the heat and we go on a 6 game winning streak including a win over the Spurs and the Magic and of course the Bucks. Yeah I don't know about that happening lol

Edited March 18, 2010 by BusBoyIsBack