Three Biggest Takeaways From Atlanta's 124-110 Win Over Philadelphia

The NBA season has one more day left in the regular season and in the Eastern Conference, the playoff/play-in matchups are officially set. With the Atlanta Hawks taking care of business last night, they clinched the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference and will face the Orlando Magic on Tuesday night in a win and in scenario to get into the playoffs. The Hawks were on the second night of a back-to-back against a depleted 76ers squad and it was not as easy as the Thursday win over Brooklyn, but the Hawks took care of business.

Here are the biggest takeaways.

1. The Hawks clinched the 8-seed and set up a showdown with Orlando

The Hawks had a slow first half, but they put their foot down in the second half against the Sixers and got the win. No matter what happens on Sunday against Orlando, it is the road game on Tuesday that is going to mean everything. Atlanta is the No. 8 seed and the Magic are No. 7 and the winner of the game on Tuesday night gets a series with the defending champion Boston Celtics. While the loser is not eliminated, they are put in a bad position. They will have to play next Friday night against the winner of the Chicago/Miami matchup and the winner of that game will face Cleveland. Even if you prefer to face the Cavs more than the Celtics, the Hawks would only get two days of rest and game planning for the first round series. If Atlanta can win Tuesday on the road, they will get a few days off to rest and prepare for a monumental challenge against Boston.

2. Mouhamed Gueye had arguably the best game of his career

Mo Gueye has been a starter for the Hawks since Jalen Johnson went down and while it has not always been a smooth ride, Gueye flashes high-level ability as a defender and rebounder. That was evident last night against the 76ers. Gueye finished the night with a double-double, scoring 10 points and pulling in a career high 18 rebounds. Gueye has been thrust into a bigger role than what was planned for him at the start of the season, but he is managing it well and will play an important part of the Hawks postseason.

3. The duo of Trae Young and Caris LeVert shined

Sure, they were facing a weak opponent, but Trae Young and Caris LeVert had big performances on Friday night that got the Hawks an important win. Young finished the night with 36 points (23 in the second half) on 10-22 shooting from the field and 6-13 from three. LeVert nearly outscored Young, finishing with 31 points on 12-15 shooting, including hitting four of his five three-pointers. LeVert is going to be an important player for the Hawks this postseason, and he will need to have big games.

Additional Links

Atlanta Hawks Clinch No. 8 Spot in The Eastern Conference With 124-110 Victory Over Philadelphia

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