With a 134-116 victory over the Washington Wizards Wednesday night at State Farm Arena, the Atlanta Hawks have clinched a spot in the play-in tournament. Trae Young scored 25 points and dished 16 assists upon his return after suffering from the flu. John Collins added 23 points and hit three out of four from downtown.
The Hawks overcame travel difficulties due to inclement weather. After beating the Chicago Bulls Tuesday night, the team did not return to Atlanta until 2PM on Wednesday.
The Hawks (41-39) also ended a streak of 33 games being within 1 game of .500. Atlanta has two games to go before the play-in tournament begins April 11th.
Jalen Johnson scored 16 points in the victory with strong play off the bench. He also scored 16 points in the previous night in a win over the Bulls. Johnson also tallied 8 rebounds.
The Wizards played without out six of their top eight rotation players, including Bradley Beal, Kristaps Porzingis and Kyle Kuzma because they were eliminated from playoff contention.
The Hawks will face the Philadelphia 76ers Friday night at State Farm Arena. The Sixers are currently third in the NBA’s Eastern Conference and have clinched a playoff spot.