The Atlanta Hawks defeated the Indiana Pacers on Monday afternoon, which marks Atlanta's third-straight victory, and brings the Hawks within 2 games of .500 once again at 23-25. 

Picking up a win on the road against the Grizzlies kicked off the winning spurt, and then Atlanta picked up back-to-back wins at State Farm Arena. The Hawks had struggled a bit at home, but are now 9-13 at home, and just one win back in the wins column of the sixth-seeded 76ers in the Eastern Conference. 

So, Hawks fans out there, what is the belief in this current Hawks team as the All-Star break looms?

They have played themselves right back into getting out of play-in range and in striking distance of earning a first-round playoff series. 

Atlanta has a strong cast of offensive players like Jalen Johnson, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, CJ McCollum, and Onkeya Okongwu who have been on a tear shooting the basketball. 

Pair that with a good group of role players like Dyson Daniels, Luke Kennard, and the returns of Zaccharie Risacher and Kristaps Porzingis. Atlanta might be poised to carry some momentum into the break. They have just eight games left until the All-Star break, and those eight games will be very important to see where the Hawks square up in a weak Eastern Conference. 

The defense may remain to be a concern, and you could certainly point to this recent winning streak and say, " well the Hawks beat two weak teams" (Pacers, Grizzlies). 

The next two games for the Hawks include tough matchups with the Celtics and Rockets, but the schedule opens up a little bit after that with opponents like the Pacers (again), Hornets, and Utah Jazz down the road.