Atlanta Hawks

The 76ers clinched in the Eastern Conference on Wednesday, joining rivals and leaders the Brooklyn Nets in cementing their spot in the postseason thanks to a 127-83 rout of the Atlanta Hawks.

Seth Curry (20 points), Harris (17 points, seven rebounds and six assists) and MVP hopeful Embiid (17 points and seven rebounds) fuelled the 76ers to an easy win midweek.

The 76ers (41-21) – chasing their first NBA title since 1983 – clinched a playoff position for the fourth successive season, the franchise's longest streak since making the postseason in five straight campaigns from 1999-2003.

But Harris has his sights set on bigger things, saying: "That's expected to clinch the playoffs.

"This is Philadelphia basketball where greatness is really something that is expected from our fans, it's expected from us as a group, and it's one of our goals, day in and day out so we understand that.

"We're not a team in the locker room celebrating for clinching the playoffs right now.

"We want to celebrate when we're able to win, and win big, in this postseason. That's our goal."

Philadelphia posted another crushing win, having defeated the lowly Oklahoma City Thunder by 31 points on Monday. The 76ers have won their last two games by a total of 75 points, their largest margin of victory over a two-game span in franchise history.

The 76ers were swept by Eastern Conference rivals the Boston Celtics in the opening round last season, after back-to-back semi-final exits in 2018 and 2019.

Embiid added: "Coming into this season, our goal was to win a championship, but there's a lot of steps to get there.

"You got to make the playoffs and you gotta win the first round, second, conference finals, and then you get to the Finals and it's a long road.

"You got to be focused for it and I think we have everything we need to make it happen. It's all about us coming in and dominating every game."

As part of Wednesday's trade, the Spurs are receiving the Hawks' 2023 first-round pick, as well as first-rounders in 2025 and 2027. Atlanta and San Antonio are also swapping a draft pick in 2026. 

Murray enjoyed a breakout year in his fifth NBA season in 2021-22, averaging 21.1 points, 9.2 assists and 8.3 rebounds while being named to his first All-Star Game. The 25-year-old point guard joined LeBron James, Russell Westbrook, James Harden and Oscar Robertson as the only players to average 20+ points, 9+ assists and 8+ rebounds in a season. 

The addition of Murray, who has two years left on his current contract, gives Atlanta one of the more explosive backcourts in the league as he will team up with two-time All-Star Trae Young. 

The Spurs, meanwhile, look to be entering a rebuild by trading away their young All-Star for three first-round picks and the 33-year-old Gallinari. 

The sixth overall pick of the 2008 NBA Draft, Gallinari averaged 11.7 points and 4.7 rebounds in 66 games last season for the Hawks.  

The veteran from Italy struggled a bit from the perimeter after being one of the more dangerous three-point shooters during the previous few seasons.

After averaging 2.4 made three-pointers a game while shooting 41.5 per cent on threes from 2018-19 to 2020-21 – the seventh-best rate in the league among those with at least 600 three-point tries – Gallinari made an average of 1.7 three-pointers a game and shot 38.1 per cent from long range last season. 

A report from The Athletic's Shams Charania detailed an incident where McMillan had not approved Young's decision to skip a team shootaround to focus on treatment for his minor shoulder injury.

It is said to have resulted in an ultimatum, with McMillan telling Young he would have to come off the bench if he wanted to play against the Denver Nuggets on Friday, with the 24-year-old two-time All-Star instead deciding to not show up altogether.

The Hawks officially attributed Young's absence to his shoulder injury, before the report brought new information to light, prompting McMillan to call the whole fiasco a "miscommunication".

The report also included a line citing anonymous sources saying "it's the latest situation that has caused many people within the Hawks to question Young's leadership approach" – pointing to similar friction between Young and former head coach Lloyd Pierce as a main factor behind his departure.

In his first media appearance since the news broke, Young said he was frustrated it all became public.

"It's hard for people who don't know the full situation to understand it," he said on Monday. "Like I said, it's a private matter made public, which was unfortunate. If it stayed private it probably wouldn't have been as big of a deal. 

"It's unfortunate. My job and my goal is to win a championship, and that's all I'm focused on.

"When you're an outside guy like [reporters] are, and you don't understand a private matter and private situation, you should probably stay on the outside.

"It's unfortunate that everybody has to understand and know a little bit of the details that went on inside. I mean, inside here we're all good. 

"If you've got any more questions about that you can talk to somebody else about it. That's all I've got to say about it."

The Hawks ended up with an impressive win against the Nuggets, with rookie A.J. Griffin taking advantage of his opportunity in the starting line-up to score a career-high 24 points.

Trae Young fuelled the rallying Hawks to a 120-116 win over Russell Westbrook's Washington Wizards midweek.

Young posted 33 points and John Collins hit the go-ahead three-pointer with 24.4 seconds remaining as the Hawks (39-31) – fourth in the Eastern Conference – clinched a playoff berth for the first time since 2017.

The Knicks (38-31), who are sixth in the east, were not in action but they still reached the playoffs thanks to some help from elsewhere.

For the first time since 2012-13, playoff basketball will return to Madison Square Garden after the Boston Celtics were upstaged 102-94 by the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Celtics (35-35) were consigned to a play-in berth following a fourth straight defeat.

The play-in tournament will include teams with the seventh through to the 10th-highest winning percentages in each conference, taking place between May 18-21, in pursuit of the playoffs.

Westbrook joins exclusive club

After making history for the most triple-doubles in the NBA on Tuesday, Westbrook was at it again. The Wizards star scored 34 points and dished out 15 assists. He has recorded 15-plus assists in six consecutive games. Westbrook is the fifth player in league history to record 15-plus assists in six or more straight games, joining John Stockton, Isaiah Thomas, Magic Johnson and Kevin Porter.

James Harden returned from an 18-game absence to help the Brooklyn Nets beat the San Antonio Spurs 128-116. Back following a hamstring strain, Harden put up 18 points and 11 assists off the bench in Brooklyn.

Double-doubles from Talen Horton-Tucker (23 points and 10 assists), Andre Drummond (20 points and 10 rebounds) and Kyle Kuzma (19 points and 10 rebounds) helped defending champions the Los Angeles Lakers outlast the lowly Houston Rockets 124-122. The result ensured the Lakers – playing without LeBron James and Anthony Davis – stayed within a game of sixth place in the Western Conference.

Luka Doncic's 33 points, eight rebounds and eight assists in a near-triple-double display inspired the Dallas Mavericks to a 125-107 win at home to the New Orleans Pelicans, staying sixth in the west.

The usual suspects – Damian Lillard (30 points), CJ McCollum (26 points) and Jusuf Nurkic (11 points and 15 rebounds) – starred as the Portland Trail Blazers upstaged the NBA-leading Utah Jazz 105-98.

Jazz lose again

The NBA-leading Jazz suffered another defeat. Usually efficient from three-point range, Utah were just 30 per cent from beyond the arc, making 12 of 40 shots. Bojan Bogdanovic missed all five of his attempts, while he was five-for-14 shooting throughout the clash.

The Pelicans were eliminated from playoff contention after going down to the Mavs.

Durant had 14 points, seven rebounds and seven assists for the Nets but he was far from his best. The former MVP was four-for-10 shooting in 29 minutes, missing all four of his three-point shots.

Kuzma comes up big

With the Lakers trailing 122-121, Kuzma drove to the rim and made the game-winning shot 6.9 seconds from the end in Los Angeles, where the franchise unveiled their 2020 championship banner.

Wednesday's results

Los Angeles Lakers 124-122 Houston Rockets
Atlanta Hawks 120-116 Washington Wizards
Brooklyn Nets 128-116 San Antonio Spurs
Cleveland Cavaliers 102-94 Boston Celtics
Dallas Mavericks 125-107 New Orleans Pelicans
Portland Trail Blazers 105-98 Utah Jazz

76ers at Heat

Eastern Conference leaders the Philadelphia 76ers (47-22) can clinch the number one seed with victory at the Miami Heat (38-31) on Thursday.

Capela, 28, is currently third in the NBA for rebounds per game (12.0), and his 63.3 per cent field goal percentage is the seventh-highest mark in the league.

His injury adds to a troubling list for the Hawks, who have been without starting forward John Collins for the past seven games as he deals with an ankle injury, while starting guard Dejounte Murray has missed a week of action with his own ankle injury.

Franchise centerpiece Trae Young was also absent for Monday's loss against the Memphis Grizzlies due to lower-back tightness, but returned to the lineup for Wednesday's loss.

With Capela and Collins still out, it will be a real opportunity for former top-10 draft pick Onyeka Okongwu to play starter's minutes.

Okongwu, 22, is averaging 21 minutes per game and has only made three starts from his 28 appearances this season, but he boasts per-36 minute figures of 14.0 points, 11.1 rebounds and 1.2 blocks.

Snyder has been linked with the vacant job since McMillan was fired on Tuesday and Hawks general manager Landry Fields confirmed he was being considered among a pool of options.

The 56-year-old led the Jazz from 2014 to 2022, guiding the side to six straight playoffs appearances, before parting ways at the end of last season with an overall 372-264 regular-season record.

"Quin is a part of that pool," Fields told reporters on Wednesday. "That's something that we will consider, for sure."

Snyder has an association with the Hawks, having worked there as an assistant coach in the 2013-14 season before taking up the Jazz gig.

The Hawks are hoping for a playoffs push, sitting eighth in the west with a 29-30 record at the All-Star break.

Fields said he could make a hire this season, with Snyder available having been out of a job since exiting the Jazz.

"It's a factor in the sense that I feel comfortable mentioning his name," Fields said when asked about Snyder's availability.

"But there are other candidates I don't want to mention because they are a part of other teams. I want to make sure I'm respectful of other teams."

The Hawks have confirmed assistant coach Joe Prunty will serve as interim coach at practice this week before their season resumes on Friday against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Ditto for the Washington Wizards.

The Hawks selected Zaccharie Risacher with the first overall pick of Wednesday’s NBA draft, and the Wizards followed by taking fellow Frenchman Alexandre Sarr with the No. 2 pick.

Risacher, Sarr and two-time defending American collegiate national champion Donovan Clingan were all mentioned as possibilities to be picked first, but ultimately the Hawks settled on Risacher.

The decision had been somewhat speculated for days after Sarr had recently worked out and met with the Wizards while declining an invitation from the Hawks, but Atlanta was keeping all options open.

Risacher worked out for Atlanta last week, and ownership evidently liked what it saw from the 6-foot-8 wing, making him the franchise's first No. 1 pick since 1975, when it selected David Thompson.

After another Frenchman, Victor Wembanyama, was picked first overall last year by the San Antonio Spurs, this marks the first time in NBA history consecutive No. 1 picks didn’t play collegiately in the United States.

Considered to have the biggest upside of anyone in this draft class, Risacher is not only a catch-and-shoot 3-point specialist, but also an exceptional defender, thanks to his length.

Not even on the draft radar a year ago, Risacher first started appearing on a lot of mock drafts with his sensational start to the LNB Pro A season in France. He then entered the conversation as a potential top pick with his stellar play at the EuroCup.

He now joins a Hawks team that is in search of a spark after being stuck in mediocrity the past few seasons.

After reaching the Eastern Conference finals in 2021, it totalled three play-off wins in being ousted in the first round in 2022 and ’23 and missed the post-season entirely this past season after finishing 10th in the East.

With Atlanta, Risacher will have an opportunity to hone his game and add some weight to his lanky frame as he makes the transition to the NBA.

Atlanta’s offence revolves around the guard play of Trae Young and Dejounte Murray, so Risacher won’t be asked to do too much too soon.

Risacher is far from being a finished product, but the Hawks believe he has the tools to develop into being a core member of the team for years to come.

Atlanta’s decision to draft Risacher, made Washington’s choice at No. 2 a no-brainer, especially after Sarr decided not to meet with the Hawks.

Sarr reportedly viewed Washington as a favourable landing spot over Atlanta, and the Wizards didn’t hesitate in snatching up someone who for a long time was considered the top prospect in the draft class.

The French-born Sarr, who spent the last season playing for Perth in the Australian Basketball League, is an athletic two-way player. He is effective as a finisher near the hoop off the pick-and-roll and is an elite rim protector on the defensive end.

With a 7-foot-4 wingspan, Sarr gives the Wizards interior length and should provide an upgrade on the defensive end considering Washington allowed a league-worst 123 points per game last season.

The Wizards are coming off their worst season in franchise history, going 15-67, and have missed the play-offs each of the last three seasons with only one play-off appearance in the last six.

Sarr is now the centrepiece of Washington’s rebuild.

At 6-foot-11, he has the size of a centre, but possesses the ball-handling ability of a wing, able to dribble through traffic or deliver an accurate pass to an open team-mate.

Sarr needs to add bulk – and a mid-range and 3-point shot – but has enough strengths to his game that he should be able to step right in and help the Wizards on both ends of the court.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Thursday that Bogdanovic declined his $18m player option for next season and replaced it with the long-term deal that pays him through the 2026-27 season.

Playing primarily as a sixth man, Bogdanovic is averaging 14.1 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.9 assists in 43 games this season while shooting 40.1 per cent from three-point range.

Bogdanovic missed the first 22 games of this season while recovering from a right knee injury but has since resumed his role as the top scoring option off the bench for the 34-35 Hawks.

The 30-year-old Serbia native played his first three NBA seasons with the Sacramento Kings before joining the Hawks as a restricted free agent in 2020.

Over 359 career NBA games (156 starts), Bogdanovic has scored 14.2 points per game while shooting 43.9 per cent from the field and 38.6 per cent from beyond the arc.

According to a report from The Athletic's Shams Charania, Snyder is expected to command a salary in the range of $8million per year to replace Nate McMillan, whom the Hawks fired Tuesday with the team sitting in eighth place in the Eastern Conference at the All-Star break.

The 56-year-old Snyder is arguably the top available coach on the market after leading the Jazz to six consecutive postseason appearances before resigning in June. Utah compiled a 294-178 regular-season record over that six-year stretch, the highest winning percentage among Western Conference teams and the third highest in the NBA.

Utah was not able to achieve the same success during the postseason, however, as the Jazz failed to advance past the conference semifinals in each of those six playoff trips.

Atlanta's interest in Snyder, a Hawks assistant under current Milwaukee Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer in 2013-14, was already known after general manager Landry Fields told reporters Wednesday the former Duke player and assistant coach was among those the team was considering to replace McMillan.

McMillan took over as Atlanta’s interim head coach after the team fired Lloyd Pierce during the 2020-21 season and went 27-11 to lead the Hawks to the East’s fifth seed. Atlanta later upset top-seeded Philadelphia in the second round to reach the conference finals before losing to Milwaukee in six games.

The Hawks removed the interim tag from McMillan shortly after that strong run, but Atlanta was knocked out of the playoffs in the first round in 2021-22 and struggled to find consistency this season. Atlanta took a 29-30 record into the All-Star break after entering the campaign with high expectations, fuelled by the offseason acquisition of guard Dejounte Murray to pair with All-Star Trae Young.

McMillan amassed a 98-80 regular-season record with Atlanta, who tabbed assistant Joe Prunty to serve as interim coach for Friday's game against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

It was meant to be an exciting season in Atlanta as McMillan prepared for his second full campaign in charge, having taken over from Lloyd Pierce shortly after the All-Star break in the 2020-21 season.

That year, after taking charge, McMillan led the Hawks to a blistering 27-11 finish, earning the fifth seed in the East and going on to make the Eastern Conference Finals after winning series against both the New York Knicks and the Philadelphia 76ers.

They took a step back the following season, finishing eighth in the East with a first-round playoff exit, and they continued trending in the wrong direction this time around.

At least with last season's disappointing end, the team could point to the fact that they had the league's second-best offense in the regular season, but were just weighed down by the fifth-worst defense.

Now the Hawks sit 16th in offense and 21st in defense, lacking any kind of identity. With the trade deadline having already passed, this is the group Atlanta will have to win with down the home stretch, and ultimately the franchise decided McMillan had run out of ideas on how to right the ship.

According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, assistant coach Joe Prunty will take over as interim head coach while they conduct a "wide-ranging" search for a permanent solution.

Wojnarowski claims the Hawks are looking for a coach who has shown an ability to develop players, produce a top-10 offense and defense, and take accountability.

He states former Utah Jazz head coach Quin Snyder is viewed as a top candidate, while The Athletic's Shams Charania adds Milwaukee Bucks associate head coach Charles Lee – who spent four seasons as a Hawks assistant before following Mike Budenholzer to Milwaukee – is also a "serious candidate".

Other names mentioned as potential hires were Golden State Warriors assistant and former Brooklyn Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson, Sacramento Kings assistant coach Jordi Fernandez, San Antonio Spurs assistant coach Mitch Johnson and G-League head coach Miles Simon.

The incident occurred at the end of Atlanta's Game 4 loss, where Murray was seen to make contact with a referee, and he was accused of verbally abusing them also.

He will miss Tuesday's next game in Boston, which could be the last game of the Hawks' season as they go in down 3-1.

Speaking to the media after being alerted of Murray's suspension, Hawks head coach Quin Snyder said his young star knows he was out of line, and it makes the task ahead even more difficult.

"Beating Boston in the Garden in the situation we're in right now, we all know is a challenge in and of itself," he said. "[But] it's something the entire group has to absorb.

"Dejounte recognizes his part in the situation. That's just not something you can do. You'd have to ask him directly as far as what had transpired previously. 

"I think there was frustration over the course of the game that built up, and he didn't handle it the way that he needs to – he knows that, we talked about it."

As far as filling the gaping hole Murray's absence leaves in the rotation, Snyder was not willing to reveal his thinking.

"Who starts [for Murray]? I'm not sure," he said. "Normally, historically, when one of those guards is out, you could start another guard, or you can go big. 

"We just found all this out. We need to meet as a staff and talk about it and see what makes the most sense for us relative to our opponent. Dejounte, not just in this series, but over the course of the year, has been a real important part of what our team does. 

"We've got to understand that contributions are going to have to come from a number of different players across the board. I don't think you can plug and play in a situation like this. Everybody's got to do their part."

If the Hawks can take Game 5, they will get a chance to tie the series at 3-3 back home in Game 6.

Young joins Hawks center Clint Capela (right calf strain) and forward De'Andre Hunter (left ankle sprain) on the sidelines.

The 24-year-old two-time All-Star injured his calf in the fourth quarter of Tuesday's 129-114 defeat to the Indiana Pacers.

The 17-17 Hawks come up against the 22-12 Nets, amid their nine-game winning streak, the best active run in the NBA.

Young is second in the NBA this season for assists, averaging 9.9 per game, while he led the league last season for total points and total assists. The guard is 11th this season with a 27.3 scoring average.

The Bucks advanced in six games and went on to win the NBA title, but the Hawks' surprise run meant the 2020-21 season was one both teams could reflect fondly on.

However, the early indications are 2021-22 will not be counted in the same category.

While there is a long way left to go in this campaign, the two teams enter Sunday's first regular-season meeting both below the playoff line. The Bucks are 6-7, while the Hawks have regressed significantly to 4-9.

Milwaukee can at least point to personnel issues. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday – their three main men – have so far shared just 21 minutes on the court.

Antetokounmpo is on course for an unprecedented fourth straight season averaging 25.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game but sat out of Friday's defeat to the Boston Celtics after spraining his ankle.

"He's kind of tested it a little bit twice today and he's just not able to go," coach Mike Budenholzer said before that game. "I know he'll get treatment, he'll probably get a lift, he'll do everything he can to get back as soon as possible."

Those words do not indicate an immediate return, even if he was originally listed as "probable" to play. Middleton has been out due to coronavirus but may return against the Hawks.

These mitigating factors are not available to Atlanta. They have named the five-man lineup that started their playoff run – prior to De'Andre Hunter's knee injury – on 11 occasions.

The Hawks should look to make the most of playing the short-handed champions and get their season back on track.

PIVOTAL PERFORMERS

Atlanta Hawks – Trae Young

Young will not be short of motivation for this one. He scored 48 points in Game 1 against the Bucks, almost single-handedly winning the series opener as he attempted 34 field goals – the third-most by any player in a single game in the 2020-21 postseason – as well as contributing 11 assists.

But a combination of form and fitness then deserted the breakout star of the playoffs. He had just 15 points in Game 2, before rebounding with 35 in Game 3, only to suffer a foot injury that kept him out of the next two. Young returned with 23.5 per cent field goal shooting in Game 6 as Milwaukee sealed the series.

Atlanta's reliance on Young to both score and create became a real issue when he was faced with elite defense, forcing nine turnovers in Game 2 alone. He has a point to prove now.

Milwaukee Bucks – Jrue Holiday

The source of that elite defense was Holiday, who had scored 33 points in Game 1 but allowed Young too much space on the other side of the ball. The Bucks point guard quickly addressed that issue.

Holiday teamed up with Brook Lopez to effectively shut down Young, striking the right balance between aggressive defense and keeping a dangerous opponent away from the foul line; he attempted 12 free throws in Game 1 alone but only returned to the line 16 more times in the whole series.

An excellent display in Game 6 saw Holiday contribute 27 points, nine assists, nine rebounds, four steals and two blocks, offset only slightly by six turnovers. It is this sort of performance that will be required on Sunday. With Antetokounmpo and Middleton doubts, Holiday will have to drive Milwaukee on offense while being careful not to give Young free rein at the other end.

KEY BATTLE – Could Capela dominate?

It is not only the big names that have been missing for the Bucks, but also the big men. Lopez has not featured since the opening night of the season due to a back issue, while the absence of Antetokounmpo, who can play the five, deals a further blow to Milwaukee's depth.

Bobby Portis is set to line up against Clint Capela, who will expect to dominate his opponent on the boards, with 11.2 rebounds per game this year – a mark only Antetokounmpo on the Bucks' roster can top.

Capela has already been key for Atlanta in limiting the damage during their poor run. The Hawks's 110.1 defensive rating is the third-worst in the league, but that improves to 108.7 with Capela on the floor, by far the best rating of the team's regular starters.

HEAD TO HEAD

The Hawks might have taken the Bucks to six games in the playoffs, but this has been a series Milwaukee have dominated. Including that 4-2 Eastern Conference Finals victory, they are 16-4 in the teams' past 20 meetings. Atlanta won the opening playoff game by three but then lost four of the following five by double digits.

The Bucks have a 114-112 edge all-time in the regular season.

That is according to owner Tony Ressler, who also acknowledged the team has been underperforming, sitting eighth in the Eastern Conference on a record of 31-31.

Speaking to ESPN, Ressler was not shy in saying he expects better from the Hawks, and believes that will happen with Snyder on board and Fields making decisions.

"We have a relatively young team that I think is very talented... that I do not think long term is a mediocre team," he said. "Right now, we're at .500. I think we should be better than that. I hope we will be better than that.

"And I can tell you this: Landry and [assistant GM] Kyle [Korver] are running a much better, much more collaborative front office. That's of huge importance to me because I think that's how you get better.

"Having ownership, a front office, a coaching staff and the right roster – when all of those folks work well together, I think results improve. That was the objective, and that's why I made the change that I did."

The Hawks dismissed previous coach Nate McMillan in February, and quickly moved for Snyder, signing the former Utah Jazz coach to a five-year deal.

Snyder lost his debut game to the Washington Wizards, but has a chance to get his first win against the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday.

"What I've always done is rely on people who know more than I do to run a business better than I could," Ressler added.

"Who makes the decisions [now], it's undoubtedly Landry with Kyle, with Quin. [They] are going to work beautifully together from what I can tell. I do believe we will make better decisions going forward than we have done in the past."

The team said Young sustained the injury in Friday's loss to the Toronto Raptors and an MRI on Saturday revealed a tear.

It’s a devastating loss for the playoff-hopeful Hawks, who at 24-32 lead the Brooklyn Nets by three games for 10th place in the Eastern Conference and a berth in the NBA Play-In Tournament.

Young leads Atlanta with 26.4 points per game (11th in the NBA) and ranks second in the league with 10.8 assists per contest.

He was named an All-Star for the third time in his career this season and led the East with seven assists in a 211-186 win over the Western Conference last Sunday.

Young hurt his ankle during Wednesday's 137-127 loss to the New York Knicks, having posted 20 points and 14 assists before exiting in the third quarter.

Ruled out for Atlanta's next two games, Young's injury status will be updated.

Young has been averaging 25.3 points, a career-high 9.6 assists – only bettered by Russell Westbrook (10.9) and James Harden (10.9) in 2020-21 – and 3.9 rebounds per game for the high-flying Hawks this season.

The 2020 All-Star (516) is only second to Washington Wizards star Westbrook (557) for total assists this term.

Young has helped the Hawks (32-27) catapult themselves into the playoff picture, with Atlanta fifth in the Eastern Conference.

Atlanta had just a three per cent chance to win the lottery after going 36-46 this season and finishing in 10th place in the Eastern Conference.

The Hawks’ campaign ended with a 131-116 road loss to the Chicago Bulls in the NBA Play-In Tournament on April 17.

“It’s a significant part of any team building strategies, so this is exciting,” Atlanta general manager Landry Field said Sunday.

Atlanta had never won the Draft lottery and will be picking first for the first time since selecting David Thompson in 1975.

Thompson, however, went on to sign with the Denver Nuggets when they were part of the American Basketball Association.

“It’s been a while,” Fields said. “That turned out a little differently than hopefully what we’ll be expecting here for the future.

“But excited about this (draft) class, excited about continuing to build what we got going in Atlanta.”

The Detroit Pistons and Washington Wizards each had the best odds to win the lottery at 14 per cent, followed by the Charlotte Hornets (13.3), Portland Trial Blazers (13.2) and San Antonio Spurs (10.5).

Washington will instead pick at No. 2 followed by Houston, San Antonio and Detroit.

The Spurs selected NBA Rookie of the Year Victor Wembanyama with the No. 1 overall pick last June.

This year’s draft will be held June 26-27 in Brooklyn.

The Hawks will be without forward Jalen Johnson and centre Onyeka Okongwu for several weeks, meaning they'll miss next week's Play-In Tournament.

Johnson exited Tuesday's loss to the Miami Heat with a right ankle injury, and the Hawks announced Thursday that an MRI revealed a Grade 2 lateral sprain. He'll be re-evaluated in approximately three weeks.

Okongwu, who last played March 21 due to a left big toe sprain, underwent a non-surgical procedure on Tuesday to address inflammation. His recovery time is approximately four weeks.

Atlanta is guaranteed a spot in the Play-In Tournament, and entered play Thursday in 10th place in the Eastern Conference - 1 /2 games behind the Chicago Bulls. The two teams will meet in the Play-In Tournament, with the winner facing the loser of the game between the 7 and 8 seeds for a spot in the play-offs.

Both Johnson and Okongwu have played big parts for the Hawks this season.

Johnson started 52 of the 56 games he played in, averaging career highs of 16.0 points and 8.7 rebounds - the second highest on Atlanta behind Clint Capela's average of 10.6 boards.

Okongwu has appeared in 55 games, with averages of 10.2 points and 6.8 rebounds. In eight starts, he had averages of 16.1 points and 8.5 boards.

One bit of good news for the Hawks is Trae Young returned in Wednesday's 115-114 loss to the Charlotte Hornets after missing 23 games with a torn ligament in his left pinkie.

The three-time All-Star point guard made all five of his field-goal attempts, finishing with 14 points and 11 assists in 21 minutes in his first game since February 23.

Murray, who was entering the final year of his contract, gets an extension that will run through the 2027-28 season.

The move comes less than two weeks after the Hawks agreed to a trade that sent John Colins to the Utah Jazz, clearing a significant amount of cap space.

In his first season with Atlanta, Murray averaged 20.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 6.1 assists in 74 games. He shot 46.4 percent from the field and 34.4 percent from 3-point range.

Murray was acquired from the San Antonio Spurs in June 2022 for forward Danilo Gallinari and three first-round picks.

Although Murray had a strong season, the Hawks fell short of expectations and finished seventh in the Eastern Conference with a 41-41 record.

The Hawks shot 52.1 per cent collectively even with Trae Young's eight-of-24 from the floor, with all five starters scoring in double-digits along with Bogdan Bogdanovic from the bench, who added 13 points.

Young started slow with three-of-13, matching LaMelo Ball for the first half, but was able to find his teammates early, particularly getting easy buckets for Clint Capela out of high pick-and-roll action.

Finishing with 31 assists for the night, the Hawks moved the ball fluidly in comparison to the Hornets, who could not generate clean looks on the way to 37.8 per cent shooting from the floor and 22 assists collectively.

Ball and Terry Rozier shot a combined 15-of-47, while the former went four-of-14 from three-point range despite eight assists and five rebounds.

Atlanta will now face the Cleveland Cavaliers, with the winner earning a Playoff matchup against the Eastern Conference's first seed, the Miami Heat.

McCollum leads Pelicans past Spurs

C.J. McCollum was the star of the show as the New Orleans Pelicans defeated the San Antonio Spurs 113-103 to earn a chance at the Western Conference eighth seed.

McCollum was on fire early, particularly in the second quarter, where he went a perfect six-for-six from the field to score 19 points in the period, on his way to final figures of 32 points (12-of-23 shooting), seven assists and six rebounds.

He was supported in style by Brandon Ingram and Jonas Valanciunas, who combined for 49 points, 19 rebounds and eight assists, while rookie defensive sensation Herb Jones had two steals and two blocks.

Jones also did a great job on Spurs All-Star Dejounte Murray, holding him to five-of-19 shooting for his 16 points.

With the win, the Pelicans will play the Los Angeles Clippers in a game where the victor will earn a seven-game series against the Phoenix Suns in round one of the Playoffs.