Al Horford came up big the other night in Game 5 for the Hawks, who were in danger of going down 3-2 against the Washington Wizards, and having to go on the road for Game 6 in DC. Had it not been for his outstanding play, the Hawks might be facing elimination from the playoffs.

He was a force from the start. Grabbing offensive rebounds and blocking shots with authority all while getting much-needed points. His intensity on the floor was unmatched by anyone on the Wizards squad. Horford finished Game 5 with 23 points, 11 rebounds, and 6 blocked shots. Six of his rebounds were offensive and none of them were bigger than the one that set up the game winning basket with 1.9 seconds left off of Dennis Schroder’s miss.

The Atlanta Hawks are one win away from reaching their first ever Eastern Conference Finals since the franchise moved to Atlanta. The St. Louis Hawks last went to the NBA Finals during the 1960-1961 season, where it drafted then rookie and now Hall of Famer Lenny Wilkins. Do they have what it takes to take the next big step for their franchise?

I believe the Hawks are ready to take the next step, and move on to the Eastern Conference Finals to take on the Cleveland Cavaliers, who closed out the Chicago Bulls last night in their best of seven series. Kyle Korver must step up in Game 6, and the Hawks need to find ways to get him good looks at the basket if they want to close out this series against the Wizards and have a shot at going to the NBA Finals. The Hawks need a consistent sharpshooting three-point threat in Korver, who didn’t contribute substantial point production (he was only one for five from the field with 3 points). When the Hawks are getting three-point shots raining down from Korver, it gives the team confidence in shooting from the outside. It also opens up the floor, and allows Horford and Paul Millsap to operate down low with one on one coverage.

Atlanta’s bench will also be key against the Wizards as their production and contribution have been a factor in each game in this series with Schroder and Mike Muscala leading the charge. Both have made up for Korver’s lack of points in this series.

If the Hawks win this series against the Wizards, they will have comfort in knowing they won the season series against the Cavs three games to one, including a 29 point blowout win in Cleveland. Their confidence level will be high as they know they can compete and win against LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, and the rest of the Cavaliers.

Game 6 for the Hawks and the Wizards is tonight, 7:00 PM ET on ESPN.