:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/photo_images/6547675/20120418_lbm_sa2_200.jpg)
This we know: The Atlanta Hawks will play either Boston or Indiana in the first round of the playoffs after Indiana clinched home court by winning their seventh straight Thursday night.
Here are the updated NBA standings, including the gory details that are the Charlotte Bobcats, who have lost a miraculous 18 in a row.
| EASTERN CONFERENCE | ||||||||||
| Eastern | W | L | PCT | GB | CONF | DIV | HOME | ROAD | L 10 | STREAK |
| Chicago1c | 47 | 16 | 0.746 | 0.0 | 36-10 | 11-1 | 24-7 | 23-9 | 5-5 | L 1 |
| Miami2se | 45 | 17 | 0.726 | 1.5 | 35-10 | 9-3 | 27-4 | 18-13 | 7-3 | W 5 |
| Indiana3x | 41 | 22 | 0.651 | 6.0 | 28-17 | 8-3 | 22-8 | 19-14 | 9-1 | W 7 |
| Boston4a | 37 | 26 | 0.587 | 10.0 | 30-15 | 8-6 | 22-9 | 15-17 | 7-3 | W 1 |
| Atlanta5x | 37 | 25 | 0.597 | 9.5 | 30-16 | 11-3 | 20-9 | 17-16 | 7-3 | W 2 |
| Orlando6x | 36 | 26 | 0.581 | 10.5 | 29-18 | 7-7 | 20-12 | 16-14 | 4-6 | L 1 |
| New York7x | 33 | 29 | 0.532 | 13.5 | 26-19 | 8-6 | 21-11 | 12-18 | 7-3 | W 2 |
| Philadelphia8 | 32 | 30 | 0.516 | 14.5 | 25-19 | 6-6 | 19-14 | 13-16 | 3-7 | W 1 |
| Milwaukee | 29 | 33 | 0.468 | 17.5 | 22-22 | 7-8 | 15-15 | 14-18 | 5-5 | L 3 |
| Detroito | 23 | 40 | 0.365 | 24.0 | 18-27 | 4-10 | 16-15 | 7-25 | 3-7 | L 2 |
| New Jerseyo | 22 | 41 | 0.349 | 25.0 | 16-29 | 5-7 | 9-23 | 13-18 | 4-6 | L 3 |
| Torontoo | 22 | 41 | 0.349 | 25.0 | 14-31 | 6-8 | 12-20 | 10-21 | 4-6 | L 2 |
| Clevelando | 20 | 41 | 0.328 | 26.0 | 12-33 | 3-11 | 10-21 | 10-20 | 3-7 | L 3 |
| Washingtono | 16 | 46 | 0.258 | 30.5 | 12-32 | 4-7 | 9-22 | 7-24 | 4-6 | W 2 |
| Charlotteo | 7 | 54 | 0.115 | 39.0 | 5-40 | 1-12 | 4-26 | 3-28 | 0-10 | L 18 |
The Bucks have gone cold at a bad time and have failed thus far to take advantage of some bad Philly luck and losing stretch.
It seems odd that Atlanta, who seems to be playing so much better than Orlando at this point, especially considering Dwight Howard is out for the year, is only a game ahead of the Magic. Remember that the Hawks own the tie-breaker over their southeastern brethren.
If the season were to end today, it would be an Atlanta/Boston series with the Hawks, who own a 1/2 game lead right now over the Celtics, holding home court advantage for that first round matchup.
If the Hawks want home court, tonight's home game against the eeeeeeeevil C's are an excellent place to lay that claim. Here is the upcoming schedule for the ATL:
| April | Opponent | Time | Local TV | Nat TV | Radio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri 20 |
vs Boston
Philips Arena, Atlanta, GA
|
7:00 PM | SSO-ATL |  |
99X |
| Sun 22 |
vs New York
Philips Arena, Atlanta, GA
|
1:00 PM | SSO-ATL | |
99X |
| Tue 24 |
vs L.A. Clippers
Philips Arena, Atlanta, GA
|
7:30 PM | SSO-ATL | 99X | |
| Thu 26 |
vs Dallas
Philips Arena, Atlanta, GA
|
8:00 PM | SSO-ATL |
680 The Fan
|
The Clippers and Mavericks have already clinched their spots in the playoffs, though it's conceivable that both could be eager to lock in their seedings and will have something to play for, but it's just as likely that both teams could be resting guys at that point as well, potentially making an easier road for the Hawks to clinch some home court goodness.
Exit Question: Come on, admit it, you want to see a Hawks-Celtics brawl in the first round, don't you?