"Nothing has been easy for the Hawks lately, so of course a potentially breezy victory to clinch a postseason berth included an injury to All-Star guard Joe Johnson and a shaky fourth quarter.

The Hawks eventually overcame it all to defeat the New Jersey Nets 98-87 on Saturday night at Philips Arena and earn their fourth consecutive appearance in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

"It's a big accomplishment," Hawks forward Josh Smith said. "There's a lot of guys who play a whole career and don't make it. I think if we get our act together, we can do something special this year."

The Hawks (41-31) won't face an opponent nearly as bad as the Nets (23-49) in the playoffs, but they are in no position to take victories for granted. For one thing New Jersey had won two of the first three games against the Hawks.

Plus the Hawks had lost four of five games and 14 of their past 21 while showing signs of sagging confidence and fraying chemistry."