In their recent matchup, the Atlanta Hawks managed to adapt well to playing without Trae Young, displaying an abundance of offensive prowess coupled with some of their strongest defensive efforts of the season.

If the Hawks can replicate their recent performances in the upcoming games, they stand a chance to enhance their position in the play-in tournament and further distance the Brooklyn Nets from playoff contention.

Beginning Thursday, Atlanta will have two opportunities to face the struggling Nets in back-to-back games, marking the commencement of their extended stay in New York.

Having achieved a 4-3 record this season without Young, the Hawks currently hold the 10th spot in the Eastern Conference, trailing the Chicago Bulls by just one game.

In their most recent outing following Young’s injury, the Hawks dominated with a 124-97 victory over the Utah Jazz, limiting their opponents to a season-low 37.2% shooting and holding them to fewer than 100 points for the third time.

“I think, other than we had some stretches where particularly live-ball turnovers, those are normally hard to defend against,” Hawks coach Quin Snyder said.

“But when we got set, I thought, you know we did a better job staying in front of the ball and, our bigs came over and contested shots, and were able to rebound. So, it’s playing through a whole possession. So, I think we’re helping each other more.”

Following their matches against the Nets, Atlanta will proceed to face the New York Knicks on the road before returning home. The Hawks have demonstrated resilience in their recent performances, amassing an 8-5 record in their last 13 games following a four-game losing streak in late January.

In the absence of Young, multiple players stepped up, with five individuals scoring in double digits. Jalen Johnson secured his fourth consecutive double-double with 22 points and 13 rebounds, while De’Andre Hunter contributed 20 points – his fifth 20-point game since returning from a knee injury.

The Hawks are also reliant on consistent performances from Bogdan Bogdanovic and Dejounte Murray. Bogdanovic added 19 points to the scoreboard, while Murray recorded 17 points and 11 assists for his third consecutive double-double.

The Nets, under interim coach Kevin Ollie, are trailing the Hawks by four games and have suffered a recent string of defeats, losing by a combined 121 points in their last four outings.

Although Mikal Bridges secured a game-winning shot against the Hawks in their previous encounter, he struggled in their recent game against the Orlando Magic, scoring only four points while shooting 2-for-13 from the field.

Bridges particularly struggled from the 3-point range, going 0-for-7 in his latest game and 2-for-25 in his past three outings. The Nets are also facing potential roster challenges, with Cam Thomas nursing a sore ankle that may sideline him for the upcoming match.

“We’ve just gotta be prepared,” Brooklyn center Nic Claxton said. “Tonight is inexcusable, and we gotta have our energy right from the jump. They came out and they were at 10 and we weren’t there.”

Ben Simmons was absent in the Nets’ recent game due to back-to-back scheduling, but may return to the lineup for the upcoming match. Simmons might resume his role off the bench, following Dennis Schroder‘s impressive performance as a starter, where he accumulated 33 points in the last two games.