The Hawks were underwhelming during the regular season and finished ninth in the Eastern Conference and therefore had to do with a place in the play-in tournament.
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Trae Young scored 24 points and De’Andre Hunter exploded in the third quarter as the Atlanta Hawks defeated the Charlotte Hornets 132-103 in a play-in game.
“We’re definitely confident right now,” Hunter said. “But we’ve got a lot more work to do. We’re not satisfied yet.”
The Hawks were underwhelming during the regular season and finished ninth in the Eastern Conference and therefore had to do with a place in the play-in tournament.
The Hawks will now play the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday to determine who takes the eighth seed in the East and face the Miami Heat in the first round of the playoffs.
As for the Hornets, their season is done as they were overwhelmed in the 9-10 play-in game for the second year in a row and haven’t made the playoffs since 2016.
But coach James Borrego called it another step forward for a rebuilding team.
“A lot of good things have happened for this franchise based on where we’re at today compared to where we were two or three years ago,” he said.
Miles Bridges was ejected in the fourth quarter and could face additional punishment from the league after he appeared to strike a young fan with his mouthpiece.
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All five Atlanta starters scored double figures, as did Bogdanovic off the bench. It was Hunter who came up big in the decisive third period, bursting out with 16 points after being held to 3 in the first half.
“I think I’m a big part of this team,” Hunter said. ”Me being aggressive, scoring and defending, helps this team a lot.”
Hunter finished with 22 points, while Danilo Gallinari scored 18 and big man Clint Capela dropped 15. Kevin Huerter and Bogdanovic chipped in with 13 apiece.
The Hornets closed the regular season strong and felt like they had a good chance to win a couple of play-in games on the road. But those hopes came crashing down against their I-85 rival. LaMelo Ball top-scored for Charlotte with 26 points.
The Hawks led by 13 in the first half before settling for a 60-52 advantage at the break. Charlotte had a bit of momentum in the closing minutes of the half, but it sure didn’t carry over to the third.
The Hawks were in a play-in game for the first time, but Hunter knows something about the one-and-done feel of the format.
“It’s like the NCAA Tournament,” Hunter said. “I’m not sure how feel about it. We won, so I guess I like it. But I’m not sure. It’s tough.”
