The Atlanta Hawks were among the biggest winners of the second half of this past NBA regular season, a band of usual-middlers who caught fire just long enough to clear the Play-In Tournament bracket and punch a playoff ticket the old-fashioned way. As fun as the ride was, their embarrassing elimination ceremony will be just as much of a part of this team's legacy as the rollercoaster ride that preceded the ending. Down by as much as 61 points in their Game 6 matchup at home against the New York Knicks, they eventually succumbed to a 140-89 throttling, one couldn't help but remind viewers about the iconic former Hawk who was missing in this franchise-altering moment. Apr 30, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) celebrates after a victory over the Atlanta Hawks during game six of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at State Farm Arena.…