March 10, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Nickale Alexander-Walker (7) shoots against the Dallas Mavericks in the fourth quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images A month ago, the Atlanta Hawks seemed destined to advance to their fifth straight Eastern Conference play-in tournament. While the team remains ninth in the conference standings, Atlanta has won seven straight and is looking to break into the top six.
The surging Hawks, enjoying a stretch in which they have played 10 of 11 games at home, host the lowly Brooklyn Nets on Thursday night. Atlanta recorded its longest winning streak since seven games in January 2022 with a 124-112 win over the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday.
The Hawks trail the fifth-seeded Toronto Raptors and sixth-seeded Miami Heat by two and a half games each.
Thursday’s win would tie a franchise high since a 19-game winning streak in the 2014-15 campaign (the Hawks have also won eight straight in March 2021). In the case of first-time All-Star Jalen Johnson, who leads the club with 23.0 points, 10.4 rebounds and 7.9 assists per game, the idea is not to apply constant pressure but simply find a way to win each game.
“I think the most important thing is to take it one game at a time,” Johnson said. “We’re not focused on a winning streak. That’s not our end goal. Our end goal is to make the playoffs and the best way to focus on that is to take it one game at a time. … Obviously we’re going to have closer, tougher games. I think it’ll be better if we stay together.”
Of the Hawks’ seven straight wins, six have reached double digits. Following Johnson, Nickel Alexander-Walker is averaging a career-high 20.0 points per game, while CJ McCollum is averaging 18.3 points in 25 games since being acquired from the Washington Wizards in a package that removed roster starter Trae Young.
Helping the team advance into the postseason conversation has been the absence of injuries since the All-Star break. The only player on the shelf is Jonathan Kuminga, who averaged 21.3 points in his first three games with the Hawks after being traded from Golden State. It is unclear whether Kuminga will play in Thursday’s game as he has missed the last three games due to a left knee injury.
Meanwhile, Brooklyn is focused solely on the NBA Draft Lottery. The Nets have dropped 11 of their last 13 games and have their worst winning percentage (.262) since going 20-62 in the 2016-17 season.
The tanking Nets fell behind by as many as 43 points in a 138-100 loss to the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday. With 17 games remaining, Brooklyn will use the final month as a test run for its future plans. Coach Jordi Fernandes had 12 players get double-digit minutes in the most recent one-sided loss.
“Everyone played well and I think this will continue,” Fernandez said. “Because we have to see what we have. Everyone here is brought in for a reason. … These games mean something because we have to play to get better and compete.”
Veteran Michael Porter Jr. leads the Nets with 24.2 points per game, followed by Noah Clowney with 12.8 and Nic Claxton with 12.1.
–Field level media
