The Hawks franchise has an overall record of 2,766-2,853. They have appeared in the NBA playoffs 46 times and captured one title.
For this piece, we'll be taking a look at the five best Hawks teams in franchise history. The organization was originally called the Tri-Cities Blackhawks and also held titles of Milwaukee Hawks and St. Louis Hawks before becoming the Atlanta Hawks in 1977.
5. 1993-94 Hawks
Atlanta won 57 games and had one of the best defenses in the league. They gave up only 96.2 points per game during the regular season.
Hall of Famer Dominique Wilkins led the Hawks on offense. He averaged 24.4 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists.
Atlanta defeated the Miami Heat in the first round of the 1994 playoffs in five games, winning the series 3-2. However, Wilkins and Co. lost to the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
4. 1996-97 Hawks
This team captured 56 wins under head coach Lenny Wilkins. Steve Smith put up 20.1 points in 72 regular-season games.
Atlanta bounced the Detroit Pistons in their 1997 first-round series but lost to Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in the second round.
MJ and the Bulls won the series in five games.
3. 1986-87 Hawks
Atlanta got to 57 wins again. They had the best defense during the 1986-87 regular season. The Hawks gave up just 102.8 points a night.
In the first round of the 1987 playoffs, Atlanta knocked out the Indiana Pacers 3-1. The Pistons, though, were too tough of an opponent in the second round. Detroit won the series in five games.
2. 2014-15
Atlanta had the second-best record in the NBA after winning 60 games. The team was top-10 in offense and defense.
The Hawks got all the way to the 2015 Eastern Conference Finals. They beat the Brooklyn Nets in the first round and the Washington Wizards in the second.
LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, though, had too much firepower and ended up sweeping Atlanta in the conference finals.
1. 1957-58 St. Louis Hawks
Coached by Alex Hannum and led in scoring by Bob Pettit, this club won the title over the Boston Celtics. Pettit averaged 24.6 points and 17.4 rebounds per game during the regular season and Cliff Hagan put up 19.9 points and 10.1 boards.
The 1957-58 team had four Hall of Famers in Pettit, Hagan, Ed Macauley and Slater Martin. The Hawks defeated the Celtics in six games.
Pettit led the Hawks to the title by averaging 29.3 points and 17.0 rebounds.
Follow Us
Subscribe