ATLANTA (Interstat) — The surging Atlanta Hawks host the struggling Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday night at State Farm Arena in a matchup of teams on opposite trajectories. The Hawks (33-31) have won five of their last six games and are firmly in the Eastern Conference playoff conversation. They are coming off an impressive 125-116 victory over Philadelphia on Saturday, powered by a career-high 35 points from forward Jalen Johnson, who added 10 rebounds and seven assists. Johnson has been the catalyst for Atlanta’s success, averaging 24.3 points, 9.8 rebounds and 7.3 assists over his last seven contests. His versatile playmaking has elevated the Hawks’ offense, which has scored at least 115 points in four of their last five wins. Conversely, the Mavericks (21-42) have lost eight of their last ten games and are near the bottom of the Western Conference. They are on a three-game skid, including a 120-100 loss at Boston last Friday. Rookie forward Cooper Flagg remains a bright spot for Dallas, averaging 20.3 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.7 assists over his last three games. His all-around contributions, including a 27-point effort against Phoenix last month, offer hope for the future, but the Mavericks have consistently struggled to close out games, with five losses by nine points or fewer since late February. Defense has been a persistent issue for Dallas, which has allowed an average of 119.2 points during its 2-8 stretch. Slowing down Johnson and Atlanta’s high-powered attack, which has topped 125 points three times in March, will be a primary challenge. The Hawks won the teams’ first meeting this season, 119-98, in Washington on Feb. 24, though Johnson played only six minutes in that contest. The teams will meet again in Dallas next Wednesday. Tuesday’s game tips off at 7:30 p.m. EDT. Atlanta looks to continue its push toward the postseason, while Dallas aims to disrupt that momentum and snap its losing streak behind its promising rookie.