ATLANTA — The Hawks tip off their 2021-22 season Thursday night at State Farm Arena, backed by more optimism than any in recent memory.
Atlanta came within two wins of reaching the NBA Finals last season, losing in the Eastern Conference Finals to the eventual champion Milwaukee Bucks. It was something of a surprise run, but the team hasn't backed down this offseason from its new, lofty expectations.
"I definitely don't see us getting the respect that I feel like we deserve from what we showed last year," Trae Young said before the season. "That's okay. I don't really care if people are believing in us or not, we're gonna go out there and we're gonna battle and we're gonna try to win it all."
The basics
- Who: Atlanta Hawks
- What: 2021-22 season opener vs. Dallas Mavericks
- Where: State Farm Arena, Atlanta
- When: 7:30 p.m.
- TV: TNT
- Tickets: Available on official markets for a little less than $40 at the low end.
They open the season Thursday night against the Dallas Mavericks, who famously draw comparisons with the Hawks due to the 2018 draft night trade that landed Young in Atlanta and Luka Doncic in Dallas.
The pair have turned into two of the most exciting young stars in the NBA, and a duel at State Farm Arena would be an electric way for Atlanta to start the new season.
It should be a good game, too: The Hawks and Mavericks are considered about equal by the oddsmakers for their NBA title chances.