Hawks clinch playoffs

Atlanta is back in the National Basketball Association playoffs after beating Cleveland 124-102 on Friday night and locking up a top-six seed in the Eastern Conference. (apnews.com) The win pushed the Hawks to 46-35 and clinched the Southeast Division, while Cleveland stayed fourth in the East at 51-30. CJ McCollum scored 29 points, and Dyson Daniels finished with 13 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds. (nba.com) (espn.com) As of Saturday, Atlanta was fifth in the East, lined up for a first-round series with the fourth-seeded Cavaliers if the bracket holds through Sunday’s finale. The National Basketball Association said seeds 5 through 10 in the East were still unsettled entering April 12. (nba.com) (espn.com) That matters because the top six seeds skip the SoFi Play-In Tournament, which begins April 14, while the full playoffs start April 18. Atlanta had spent the previous four seasons in the play-in format, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. (nba.com) (ajc.com) The berth ends a two-year run without a playoff series for Atlanta. The Hawks failed to qualify in 2023-24 and then lost both of their play-in games in 2024-25 after finishing 40-42. (landofbasketball.com) (espn.com) (landofbasketball.com) This turnaround came with a different look than the one Atlanta opened the season with. ESPN’s season log shows Trae Young leading the Hawks in assists early in the year, while a 2026 season summary says Young was traded to Washington on January 9 for McCollum and Corey Kispert. (espn.com) (en.wikipedia.org) Atlanta also got its first division title since 2021, the year the franchise reached the Eastern Conference finals. The Associated Press and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution both tied Friday’s clincher to that earlier run. (apnews.com) (ajc.com) The regular season ends Sunday, but Atlanta’s next date that cannot move is April 18, when the first round opens. After two springs on the outside, the Hawks no longer need the play-in to get there. (nba.com)