Four years ago, Boston and Atlanta were in much different places when they met in the NBA playoffs.
The Celtics, a champion in the making. The Hawks, a team on the rise.
This time, they're in a similar situation: playing to stay together.
The Celtics are possibly making a last stand with their aging Big Three -- Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen. The Hawks have a younger core but desperately need a long run in the playoffs to justify keeping all the important pieces intact, especially dynamic forward Josh Smith, who has one more year on his contract and a checkered relationship with his hometown team.
Game 1 in the best-of-seven series is Sunday night in Atlanta, which has home-court advantage despite being the lower-seeded team.
The Celtics, a champion in the making. The Hawks, a team on the rise.
This time, they're in a similar situation: playing to stay together.
The Celtics are possibly making a last stand with their aging Big Three -- Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen. The Hawks have a younger core but desperately need a long run in the playoffs to justify keeping all the important pieces intact, especially dynamic forward Josh Smith, who has one more year on his contract and a checkered relationship with his hometown team.
Game 1 in the best-of-seven series is Sunday night in Atlanta, which has home-court advantage despite being the lower-seeded team.
Match Time : 7:00 pm (USA)
