Trae Young bounced back from a sluggish start to score 24 points and De’Andre Hunter led a third-quarter surge that carried the Atlanta Hawks to a 132-103 play-in rout of the Charlotte Hornets.
The Hawks finished ninth in the East after a surprising run to the conference final a year ago. Now, they’ll travel to Cleveland to face the Cavaliers Friday night.
The winner claims the No. 8 seed in the East and will face the top-seeded Miami Heat in the opening round of the playoffs.
The season is over for the Hornets, who haven’t made the playoffs since 2016.
