With just three games left to go in the 2012 NBA regular season, the Atlanta Hawks find themselves having already clinched a playoff berth. The Hawks, however, will not be catching the Miami Heat for the Southeast division crown, as the Heat have already wrapped that title up.
As things currently stand, the Hawks are the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference. Atlanta has three tough games remaining on the schedule though, as they play host to the New York Knicks, Los Angeles Clippers and Dallas Mavericks this coming week. Atlanta is only one and a half games up on the Orlando Magic, so it is conceivable that the Hawks drop to the sixth seed.
Southeast Standings
| W | L | PCT | GB | STRK | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Miami 
|
45 | 17 | .725 | 0 | Won 5 |
|
Atlanta
|
38 | 25 | .603 | 7.5 | Won 3 |
|
Orlando
|
36 | 26 | .580 | 9 | Lost 1 |
|
Washington
|
16 | 46 | .258 | 29 | Won 2 |
|
Charlotte
|
7 | 55 | .112 | 38 | Lost 19 |
If the Hawks hold onto the fifth seed, they will take on the Boston Celtics in the first round of the 2012 NBA Playoffs. Should Atlanta falter and wind up the sixth seed, they would take on the Indiana Pacers in the first round.
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