The Atlanta Hawks are assured of the final play-in spot, and in this stage, a team only needs two good games to get to the next round.
The Hawks could do that if everything goes well with the recovery of star guard Trae Young.
NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the three-time All-Star is picking up basketball again.
"Hawks guard Trae Young has been cleared to resume contact and practice, team says. He underwent surgery for a torn ligament in his finger on February 27," Wojnarowski wrote on X.
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Young last played on February 23 against the Toronto Raptors.
Coach Quinn Snyder bemoaned losing Young to injury as he did not just lose his best player, but it also meant disrupting his bench rotation.
"This will be fluid. If Boji starts, we lose his punch off the bench," Snyder said back in March.
"Do you want him stabilizing the second unit? There's a lot of things that go into it. We will approach it that way."
He averaged 25.6 points and 9.5 assists in 404 career games before being temporarily shut down due to the injury.
Hawks' play-in situation
Dejounte Murray held it down for the Hawks while Young was out.
The team went down 12-10 without their main PG, including two wins against league-leading Boston Celtics.
They still have a chance to get to the ninth spot.
If Young gets to play soon, the remaining games will help him get in form for the play-in, where they will face the Chicago Bulls.
The remaining games in their schedule are the Miami Heat and Charlotte Hornets at home and the Minnesota Timberwolves and Indiana Pacers on the road.
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