The National Basketball Association (NBA) playoffs began on Saturday, April 18, with the Atlanta Hawks earning the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference – GCSU students reacte to the team’s success.
The Hawks face the No. 3-seeded New York Knicks in a best-of-seven series. The first team to win four games in the series will advance to the next round: the Eastern Conference semi-finals.
Around GCSU, many Hawks fans are excited for a playoff run. The Hawks are back in the NBA playoffs after missing the postseason the past two seasons according to the Basketball Reference, an online database for historical and current NBA statistics.
“I love our odds,” said Liam Glass, a senior business major. “New York has a history of choking. Just like back in 2021, Trae Young took over the city. Trae is not on the team anymore but I still believe this team has the right pieces to make a run.”
The Knicks finished the season with a 53-29 record, according to the NBA website. The Hawks concluded their 2025-2026 regular season with a 46-36 record, the most wins in a season since the 2015-16 season according to the Basketball Reference.
The Hawks secured their playoff berth behind superb play in the second half of the 82-game season. Atlanta held a 26-30 record at the All-Star break according to the Basketball Reference. After the All-Star break, the Hawks went 20-6, the third-best record in the NBA during that span.
“This team has really surprised me in the way they have fought this season with all the adversity they faced,” said Alex Gelmini, a senior management major. “Jalen Johnson has stepped into his role as the leader of the team. The Hawks have only been trending up from a winning standpoint. I also have to credit [head coach] Quin Snyder for doing a great job from a coaching standpoint. I’m excited to see what this team can do in the playoffs.”
Jalen Johnson, in his fourth season with Atlanta, averaged 22.5 points, 10.3 rebounds and 7.9 assists in the regular season, according to Basketball Reference. He earned his first All-Star selection.
The Hawks will face a Knicks team that has seen playoff success. Last year, the Knicks made it to the Eastern Conference Finals before falling to the Indiana Pacers. The Hawks faced the Knicks three times in the regular season, winning one game and losing two games by a combined six points.
Atlanta last faced the Knicks in the NBA playoffs in 2021. The Hawks defeated the Knicks in five games in the first round. They went on to defeat the Philadelphia 76ers before falling to the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference Finals. According to the Basketball Reference, the Hawks have not reached the NBA Finals since 1961.
“I really think that the Hawks have a chance to knock-off the Knicks in the first round,” said Quinn Thompson, a freshman business major. “We [the Hawks] have been on fire for the last few months. The Knicks are good but the way everyone on the team is playing I like our chances.”
The Hawks lost Game 1 of the best-of-seven series, 113-102 on Saturday, April 18. Game 2 will be played on Monday, April 20 at 8 p.m. For information regarding the Hawks this postseason, visit Hawks.com.