We know the Sweet 16 is in full swing, but there’s something about NBA ball…

🎉 Happy birthday to David Roddy and Tyler Kolek! 🎉

With a home win against Jalen Brunson (26 PTS, 13 AST) and the Knicks last night, the Hornets are winners of five straight games.

Charlotte, sitting in the thick of the play-in race, picked up a win against New York thanks to big performances from Kon Knueppel (26 PTS, 11 REB, 8 AST), LaMelo Ball (22 PTS, 6 AST), and Brandon Miller (21 PTS, 8 REB). The Hornets’ big three cruised to a win over the Knicks, who shot well from the field but couldn’t keep up with Charlotte’s momentum.

Brunson led the Knicks in scoring, with OG Anunoby (17 PTS) and Josh Hart (16 PTS, 7 REB, 5 STL) behind him amongst the pack. For this Knicks team that currently sits in the top 3 of the Eastern Conference, it’s a loss that exposes some crucial weaknesses on the defensive end that could come to haunt them in the playoffs.

But don’t count the Hornets out coming out of the play-in! This is a sneaky team…

Four quarters of regulation basketball weren’t enough for the Rockets and Timberwolves on Wednesday. Kevin Durant (30 PTS, 8 AST) and Julius Randle (24 PTS, 6 AST, 6 REB) had led their respective teams on valiant efforts thus far, but KD made the free throw he needed to with nine seconds left to send the game into extra time.

The Rockets instantly jumped out to a lead, going on a 13-0 run that seemed to surely put the Wolves down for good. Houston had Durant and Reed Sheppard (10 PTS, 8 REB) at the helm, and the Timberwolves couldn’t keep up.

But all of a sudden, Randle and the Wolves flipped the switch. Minnesota countered Houston by going on a 15-0 run that put them up by 2 with under ten seconds left in the overtime period, handing them the win in dramatic fashion and setting an NBA record for largest overtime comeback win in the process.

True love means letting go of something that isn’t working. Atlanta did that with the January trade of their sneering, smack-talking, beloved star Trae Young. Young has spent most of his year on the bench in Washington, cheering on the youth movement and dreaming of future lobs to Anthony Davis. 

The Hawks, though… They kept making moves, kept playing around with lineups, and now find themselves the surprise 5th seed in the East. How does a team go on a run like this after trading their All-NBA star for what (at the time) was seen as a minimal return?​

Let’s start with who they did get. CJ McCollum, playing meaningful basketball for the first time in years, has taken full advantage of the opportunity. Since replacing Zaccharie Risacher in the starting lineup, the CJ/NAW/Daniels/JJ/Okongwu group has a staggering +29.7 point differential in a 500+ possession sample size.

In English, they’re really good and have proven it at volume.

This lineup scores a ton (94th percentile in PTS/POSS), forces turnovers (84th percentile in Turnover%), and generates extra possessions on the glass (80th percentile in OREB%). The 6’3” McCollum’s ability to create his own shot has been huge for his mostly jumbo-sized teammates. Atlanta runs through All-Star Jalen Johnson’s forceful drives and soft passes, but McCollum is more than happy to chew up any extra space these teams leave when they focus on him.

We’d be remiss if we didn’t also mention the leap from Nickeil Alexander-Walker. Shai’s cousin must’ve taken some notes at family Christmas, because he’s been absolutely frying dudes. NAW is up to 20 PPG on the season, while still providing the defensive grit Atlanta signed him for. What stands out the most is his patience. When he drives, he uses his length to ward off defenders and balance to survey until the last possible moment before a shot or a pass. Basketball is a game of leverage; you want to force your opponent to make their decision on your terms. NAW understands that intrinsically.

Then, of course, you have the Jonathan Kuminga of it all.

After months of discourse and trade rumors, Kuminga has escaped the shackles of the evil Steve Kerr and has been… pretty okay. His 27-point debut and subsequent 17-point effort in his first start led to some scalding hot takes before he missed 3 games due to a lingering knee issue. 

The highs (as always) are incredible—Kuminga is a special athlete who shows flashes of All-Star level talent. He’s also averaged 2.1 turnovers per game in just 23 MPG, and his below-average rTS% means he’s scoring less efficiently than the average player. That isn’t a good number for a guy with his athleticism at the rim. That being said, Kuminga provides Atlanta a level of force that few teams have, much less off the bench. He’ll be their X-Factor in any playoff series, especially potential Round 1 matchups with defensive frontcourts like Cleveland or Toronto.​

Sometimes, a breakup helps both parties. The Hawks’ 15-2 record post-ASB certainly suggests that’s true. They have a dominant starting core, featuring an ascending All-Star, a do-it-all wing who actually does it all, and a savvy vet making his final push for a crowning postseason run. Throw in a bench full of dudes with a lot to prove and a coach who’s been there and done that, and Atlanta is a ton of fun. Is there any Magic in the City for a surprise playoff run? We’ll find out soon enough.

Written by Enjoy intern Ben Gordnier.

Happy Friday, Enjoyers! Rest up and recharge this weekend—we’ll see you on Monday.

Austin Zeglis