Dejounte Murray was muted in his celebration after the Hawks clinched a play-in tournament spot following their win over the Pistons.
The Atlanta Hawks looked as if they were going to build off a respectable showing against the Boston Celtics in the first round of the 2023 NBA playoffs. Alas, the 2023-24 season has been an overall disappointment for them. Following the Hawks’ 121-113 win over the Detroit Pistons despite Malachi Flynn’s 50-point outing, Atlanta has now clinched a spot in the play-in tournament, a disappointment given the expectations they had for themselves entering the year.
This sentiment was echoed by Dejounte Murray, who, despite being happy that the Hawks still have a chance to make the playoffs via the play-in tournament, would have wanted his team to finish with a higher seed.
“It’s great, but obviously, I wanted to avoid the play-in as much as I can with just the winning mentality being a competitor. Obviously, with us being hurt and not being able to have a consistent roster, it doesn’t help, but at the end of the day, it’s still good to have a chance,” Murray said following their win over the Pistons, per Kevin Chouinard of Hawks.com.
“So we continue to handle business the rest of the way and, you know, get to that game – wherever we play, where we play – and just be ready to go.”
It’s only a matter of time before a matchup between the Hawks and the Chicago Bulls in the 9/10 play-in tournament bracket in the Eastern Conference becomes official. It’ll be interesting to see if the Hawks can channel the play-in magic they’ve had over the past two seasons, and whether Dejounte Murray gets more help along the way.
Hawks in the play-in tournament, a familiar sight
The Hawks have been unable to recapture their 2021 playoff magic; since then, Atlanta has been a middling team, finishing in a play-in tournament spot for three consecutive seasons.
At the very least, the Hawks are familiar with being in a must-win spot to make the playoffs. In 2022, the Hawks made the playoffs despite finishing ninth, taking care of business in the 9/10 game against the Charlotte Hornets and then overcoming the upstart yet injury-riddled Cleveland Cavaliers. Last season, the Hawks earned the seventh seed when they defeated the Miami Heat with a stellar performance in the 7/8 matchup.
Their likely opponent in the 9/10 play-in game, the Chicago Bulls, are also familiar with the tournament setup. Last year, the Bulls defeated the Toronto Raptors, thanks to the screams let out by DeMar DeRozan’s daughter, but they fell short against a Heat team in the eight-seed deciding game, which eventually set up an all-time playoff run for Miami that ended in heartbreak in the NBA Finals.
Will Trae Young return from injury in time for the play-in?
Trae Young has been out of action for the Hawks since February 23, with Young even undergoing surgery to repair a torn ligament on his left hand. It remains unclear if Young will be able to return to the court to help the Hawks in a potential playoff run, however, even though it has been over a month since he went under the knife.
Young has gone through “small finger motion exercises”, which at least signals progress in his injury recovery, but a return to the court wouldn’t be imminent until he takes part in full contact practice.
Dejounte Murray may have his ambitions of mounting a competitive playoff run, but it’s hard to envision the Hawks going anywhere far especially if they don’t get Trae Young back.
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