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- The 1996–97 NBA season was the Hawks' 48th season in the National Basketball Association, and 29th season in Atlanta. During this season, Hawks owner Ted Turner was the then-vice chairman of Time Warner after acquiring Turner Broadcasting System. In an effort to improve their team, the Hawks strengthened their defense by signing free agent All-Star center Dikembe Mutombo. During the off-season, the team signed free agents Tyrone Corbin and Willie Burton; Corbin previously played for the Hawks during the 1994–95 season. The team also signed Eldridge Recasner and former Georgia Tech guard Jon Barry. The Hawks struggled with a 5–6 start to the season, but soon played above .500 as the team signed three-point specialist Henry James in December, and later on released Burton to free agency in January after playing 24 games. The Hawks posted a 14–2 record in January, which included a ten-game winning streak, then later on held a 31–15 record at the All-Star break, and posted a 7-game winning streak in March. The team also won 20 consecutive home games from November 12 to February 12. The Hawks finished second in the Central Division with a 56–26 record, while posting the third best home record in the league at 36–5. The Hawks had the third best team defensive rating in the NBA. Mutombo averaged 13.3 points, 11.6 rebounds and 3.3 blocks per game, and would capture the Defensive Player of the Year honors for the second time, as he was named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team, finishing second in the NBA in rebounding and blocked shots, while Christian Laettner had a stellar season, averaging 18.1 points and 8.8 rebounds per game. Mutombo and Laettner were both selected for the 1997 NBA All-Star Game. In addition, Steve Smith continued to lead the Hawks in scoring with 20.1 points per game, while Mookie Blaylock provided the team with 17.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, 5.9 assists, led the league with 2.7 steals per game, finished second in the league with 221 three-point field goals, and was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team, and Corbin contributed 9.5 points and 1.3 steals per game. Off the bench, James contributed 6.7 points per game, and second-year forward Alan Henderson averaged 6.6 points and 3.9 rebounds per game, but only played just 30 games due to illness. Blaylock also finished in third place in Defensive Player of the Year voting. In the playoffs, the Hawks would be put to the test as they faced the Detroit Pistons in the Eastern Conference First Round. The Pistons took a 2–1 series lead, but the Hawks managed to win the next two games, winning the series in five games. However, the Hawks would provide little challenge to Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and the Chicago Bulls in the Eastern Conference Semi-finals, as they fell in five games to the defending and eventual NBA champions, despite winning Game 2 at the United Center, 103–95. The Bulls would go on to defeat the Utah Jazz in six games in the NBA Finals, winning their fifth championship in seven years. It was also the Hawks' final season playing at The Omni, which was scheduled to demolition after the season, and hosted its final game in a Game 4 loss to the Bulls during the second round of the playoffs, 89–80 on May 11, 1997. Following the season, Barry signed as a free agent with the Los Angeles Lakers, while James re-signed with his former team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, and Ken Norman, who only played just 17 games this season due to a back injury, retired. (en)
- La stagione 1996-97 degli Atlanta Hawks fu la 48ª nella NBA per la franchigia. Gli Atlanta Hawks arrivarono secondi nella Central Division della Eastern Conference con un record di 56-26. Nei play-off vinsero il primo turno con i Detroit Pistons (3-2), perdendo poi la semifinale di conference con i Chicago Bulls (4-1). (it)
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