Atlanta Hawks: Top 10 moments from 2017-18 NBA season

2. Hawks take down Spurs and Pelicans in back-to-back, down-to-the-wire finishes

The Hawks combined competitive fire with a flair for the dramatic during a two-game stretch in mid-January. They were able to knock the San Antonio Spurs and the New Orleans Pelicans — two Western Conference playoff teams — in back-to-back games. Both matchups went down to the wire. It was also one of only four instances in 2017-18 where the Hawks won consecutive games.

The first game brought the Spurs to town on Jan. 15. It was a chance for head coach Mike Budenholzer, Marco Belinelli and Dewayne Dedmon to face their former team. San Antonio jumped out to an 18-4 lead early, but the Hawks fought back and eventually took control of the game, winning 102-99. Dennis Schroder led the way with 26 points while Ersan Ilyasova chipped in 20.

The next game on Jan. 17 brought in Anthony Davis, DeMarcus Cousins and the Pelicans. New Orleans was much more relentless to the Hawks, leading by as many as 19 points. Once again, the Hawks fought back. They took off on a 19-3 run that gave them a 71-70 edge at the end of the third quarter. Kent Bazemore decided the game in the clutch, hitting a mid-range jumper with 3.0 seconds left in regulation to give Atlanta the 94-93 victory.

Taking down these playoff teams in exciting fashion not only brought excitement to Hawks fans, it also showed that this team, at its very best, is capable of taking down the NBA’s giants.