Seeking to capitalize on the thrill of their come-from-behind victory on Monday, the Atlanta Hawks are determined to enhance their playoff position as they welcome the struggling Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday.

Atlanta staged a remarkable comeback, erasing a 30-point deficit to stun the top-ranked Boston Celtics with a 120-118 win on Monday. This win propelled the 10th-seeded Hawks (32-39) within 1 1/2 games of the 9th-seeded Chicago and 5 1/2 games ahead of the 11th-seeded Brooklyn in the intense race for the NBA Play-In Tournament.

Portland (19-53) suffered their seventh consecutive loss on Monday, succumbing 110-92 to Houston. With the second-worst record in the Western Conference, the Blazers have struggled immensely, only managing a 4-14 record since the All-Star break and have been officially eliminated from playoff contention. This game marks the second leg of a daunting seven-game road trip for Portland.

The upcoming matchup will be the second encounter between Atlanta and Portland. The Trail Blazers emerged victorious in their initial clash with a 106-102 win in Portland on March 13 – coincidentally, their last victory. Conversely, the Hawks have emerged victorious in the previous four meetings hosted in Atlanta.

Both teams are operating with limited rosters. Atlanta is without key players like Trae Young (recovering from finger surgery), Saddiq Bey (sidelined due to a left ACL injury), Jalen Johnson (nursing a right ankle issue), and reserve Onyeka Okongwu (dealing with a toe sprain).

Similarly, the Blazers are missing Deandre Ayton (left elbow), Anfernee Simons (left knee), Malcolm Brogdon (right elbow), and Jerami Grant (right hamstring).

The Hawks’ incredible resurgence was fueled by unexpected heroes like Vit Krejci, who seamlessly filled Bey’s spot in the starting lineup, and Wesley Matthews, who made a significant impact coming off the bench for 17 minutes.

Krejci’s sharpshooting from beyond the arc, sinking four 3-pointers and equaling his career-best with 16 points, coupled with Matthews’ defensive prowess, were instrumental in the victory.

“We believe in ourselves and we believe we can compete against anybody,” Krejci said. “We just never gave up and everybody contributed for us, that’s for sure.”

Coach Quin Snyder attributed the team’s rallying success to selfless play.

“I think we’re learning to play that way. It’s not easy,” Snyder said. “We’ve been putting the time in, even on the road.”

“Our guys have been working on the little things that don’t always translate to the game — running harder, not getting caught in purgatory on the transition. But the biggest thing is guys are focused on each other, asking what I can do for my teammate.”

Meanwhile, Portland displayed tenacity against a Houston squad vying for a playoff berth. The Blazers maintained a 51-47 lead at halftime but struggled offensively in the latter half, scoring just 41 points.

“I thought we had a really good first half and had some good moments in that third quarter, but the game kind of turned,” Blazers coach Chauncey Billups said. “They picked up their defensive pressure, and we just didn’t respond well to it. Give them credit. They turned it up when they needed to, defensively, against a young group.”

Rookie guard Scoot Henderson, hailing from the suburbs of Atlanta, emphasized the necessity for Portland to maintain high defensive intensity for a competitive edge.

“We need to keep our defensive intensity up,” Henderson said. “That’s going to give us a chance every night — defensive intensity, moving the ball and just making the game easier for ourselves and not trying to one-on-one the whole game because we can’t win like that.”