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Atlanta Hawks still a game up in battle for East's 3rd seed

The Atlanta Hawks' winning streak came to an end Wednesday night but the team maintained a one-game lead in the battle for the Eastern Conferences' third seed.

Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images

The Atlanta Hawks saw their four-game winning streak end Wednesday night with a 105-97 loss to the Toronto Raptors. The loss wrapped up a week long road trip for the Hawks who will now play their next four games at Philips Arena. Atlanta maintained a one-game advantage over the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference standings by virtue of the Heat's 102-100 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. Both Charlotte and Boston were idle on Wednesday and picked up a half-game in the standings.

Here is a look at the up to the minute East Standings:

Team W L PCT GB
1. Cleveland Cavaliers 52 22 .703 0.0
2. Toronto Raptors 50 24 .676 2.0
3. Atlanta Hawks 45 31 .592 8.0
4. Boston Celtics 43 31 .581 9.0
5. Miami Heat 43 31 .581 9.0
6. Charlotte Hornets 43 31 .581 9.0
7. Detroit Pistons 40 35 .533 12.5
8. Indiana Pacers 39 35 .527 13.0
Chicago Bulls 37 37 .500 15.0

As you can see, the Hawks are one of four teams that are even in the loss column. Atlanta has two more wins under their belt than Boston, Miami and Charlotte but still has a difficult schedule remaining with four games left against the Raptors, Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers.

Here is a look at the Hawks' remaining schedule:

Date Opponent Time
Friday, April 1 vs Cavaliers 8 p.m.
Tuesday, April 5 vs Suns 8 p.m.
Thursday, April 7 vs Raptors 8 p.m.
Saturday, April 9 vs Celtics 7:30 p.m.
Monday, April 11 at Cavaliers 7 p.m.
Wednesday, April 13 at Wizards 8 p.m.

The four-game home stretch is critical for Atlanta if they hope to hold on to home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. The Cavaliers could be resting a number of their starters by the time the Hawks head back out on the road on April 11.

Notable Games for Thursday, March 31

Celtics vs Trail Blazers - 10 p.m. ET