Atlanta has caught Hawks fever in record numbers

Take it all in.

Bask in the excitement and unity that this basketball team has created at a time when the city has needed it.

Hawks CEO Steve Koonin gave that advice to members of the organization before the Hawks turned in the incredible victory over the Milwaukee Bucks during Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals on Tuesday. The Hawks won that game in a blowout with their star player, Trae Young, out with an injury. State Farm Arena has been raucous in rooting on the Hawks, setting records for attendance during their playoff run. Koonin went so far as to record a few moments of the frenzied scene for posterity. You never know when you need a pick-me-up.

“I think there is a togetherness, a specialness in the city, since we’ve been through so much,” Koonin told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “A great story after a very, very difficult 14 months is exactly what we need. This is the stuff we used to make in television, except we used to make it up.”

The Hawks return to State Farm Arena for Game 6 of the playoff series tonight – a berth in the NBA Finals on the line. The Hawks trail the best-of-seven series 3-2. A win forces a decisive Game 7 back in Milwaukee on Monday. A loss ends a season that exceeded all expectations. Should we expect anything less from this drama-filled journey?

According to Koonin, the Hawks have had their five largest gates – ticket sales and revenue – during this postseason. Games have been sold out. Courtside tickets have gone for $60,000 and standing-room-only tickets, with a face value of $159, have sold for $500. Some arena concessions have run out of food. The arena was redesigned several years ago, with several gathering places, with the goal of selling standing-room tickets if needed. They are needed.

Television ratings also have been strong. All games of the conference finals have aired on TNT. The first four games averaged 4.8 million viewers, and two of those games have been blowouts, which can negatively impact viewership. Overall, the Hawks have played in three of the four most-watched playoff games on TNT this season – Game 7 against the 76ers in the semifinals and games 1 and 3 against the Bucks in the finals.

“If you look at my (introductory) press conference seven years ago, I said the dream was to excite and unite the city of Atlanta through Hawks basketball,” Koonin said. “And that’s happening. It’s humbling. It’s fulfilling. And there are so many people who have done so much to make that come to fruition, especially the fans. You walk down the street, people say ‘Go Hawks.’ You drive around and see all the merchandise. It has always been a good NBA town. It’s now a great NBA town.”

So how did we get here?

Credit: Curtis Compton / Curtis.Compton@

Credit: Curtis Compton / Curtis.Compton@

The Hawks were in the conference finals only six seasons ago. The 2014-15 Hawks were the top seed in the conference. The Hawks and the Golden State Warriors were considered the two best teams in the NBA that season, on a path to play for the title. The Hawks had never advanced to the Eastern Conference finals since they moved to Atlanta in 1968. They came out of the Western Division (there were no conferences then, only two divisions) when the franchise won its only championship in 1958, when they were located in St. Louis. Those top-seeded Hawks of 2015 fell short of the NBA Finals when they were swept by the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Fast forward, after a complete rebuild, and these Hawks are young, talented and have advanced further than ever and as most expected. They have been the underdog in every series. As the No. 5 seed, they disposed of the No. 4-seed New York Knicks, losing only one game. The toppled the No. 1-seed Philadelphia 76ers in seven games, winning three games on the road and overcoming deficits of 18 and 26 points. They won the first game, on the road, against the No. 3-seed Milwaukee Bucks to start the series and took Game 4 in a blowout with Young watching in street clothes with a foot injury.

The Hawks’ remarkable run comes just as the world is opening up again from COVID-19. Sports leagues shut down, played in bubbles and restarted without fans this season. A gradual return to full capacity has been unleashed more than a year of pent-up energy. In Atlanta, the Hawks have been a cause and beneficiary of the civic explosion.

Also, remember the Hawks were 14-20 and in 11th place in the conference and fired their head coach on March 1. Now, they are two wins away from the finals.

“I know we’re on a really special run,” said Nate McMillan, the interim head coach who has led one of the most amazing turnarounds in league history.

The Hawks’ remarkable run has brought back memories of the 1991 Braves, the worst-to-first team that likewise captivated the city as it advanced to the World Series. That began the team’s unprecedented run of 14 consecutive division championships, and four trips in five seasons to the World Series, including the 1995 title. The Hawks have reason to eye a such a sustained run of success. That have given the franchise and its fans reason to believe. There might be more to come.

“People are partying in the streets,” Koonin said. “I do think the element of overdelivering on expectations, the way we’ve won and the way we are set up to be very good for a very long time has people excited.”