1987–88 Atlanta Hawks season

The 1987–88 NBA season was the 39th season for the Atlanta Hawks in the National Basketball Association, and their 20th season in Atlanta, Georgia. In December, the Hawks traded Mike McGee to the Sacramento Kings, and acquired second-year center Chris Washburn from the Golden State Warriors.

The Hawks got off to a 6–5 start to the regular season, then won 16 of their next 18 games, and held a 30–15 record at the All-Star break. The team posted a 7-game winning streak between March and April, but then lost six of their final nine games of the season, finishing in third place in the Central Division with a 50–32 record, and earning the #4 seed in the Eastern Conference.

Dominique Wilkins averaged 30.7 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game, and was named to the All-NBA Second Team, while Doc Rivers averaged 14.2 points, 9.3 assists and 1.8 steals per game. In addition, Kevin Willis provided the team with 11.6 points and 7.3 rebounds per game, while Randy Wittman contributed 10.0 points and 3.7 assists per game, Cliff Levingston provided with 10.0 points and 6.1 rebounds per game, and Tree Rollins averaged 4.4 points, 6.0 rebounds and led the team with 1.7 blocks per game. Off the bench, John Battle contributed 10.6 points per game, while Antoine Carr averaged 8.8 points and 3.6 rebounds per game, and Spud Webb provided with 6.0 points and 4.1 assists per game.

Wilkins and Rivers were both selected for the 1988 NBA All-Star Game in Chicago, Illinois, with head coach Mike Fratello coaching the Eastern Conference. Wilkins also finished in sixth place in Most Valuable Player voting, and Battle finished tied in eighth place in Most Improved Player voting.

In the Eastern Conference First Round of the 1988 NBA playoffs, the Hawks defeated the Milwaukee Bucks in five games. In the Eastern Conference Semi-finals, they took a 3–2 series lead over Larry Bird and the top-seeded Boston Celtics. However, the Hawks would lose Game 6 at the Omni Coliseum, 102–100, then lose Game 7 at the Boston Garden, 118–116, thus losing the series in seven games; this was the closest Wilkins had ever gotten to advancing to the Conference Finals.

The Hawks finished eighth in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 572,460 at the Omni Coliseum during the season; as of 2025, this would be the last time the Hawks finished in the top ten in home-game attendance. Following the season, Wittman was traded to the Sacramento Kings, and Rollins signed as a free agent with the Cleveland Cavaliers.