Celtics underestimating Hawks?

Boston was looking to have a little R & R after they saw the other series in the Eastern conference looking like they were going to go to at least 5, 6, maybe even 7 games. I mean, here was a team that was up 2-0 and heading to Atlanta, brimming with confidence to head back to Beantown with a sweep.

They forgot that one person really didn't see it that way--his name happens to be Joe Johnson. He almost single-handedly has kept Atlanta in winning the two games at home.

Now heading back to Boston with the series knotted 2-2, the Celtics will not get that rest they anticipated and actually may have underestimated the heart of the Hawks. While no Boston player will come out and say it, let's be honest--the Celtics had the best record in the league this year, and it took up until the final game of the season for Atlanta to even make the playoffs in the downtrodden Eastern Conference. To think that they would be forced at least to six games in the playoff series was probably laughable by the Celtics' standards.

But here we are, and Boston now must turn on the homecourt advantage and at a minimum hope that they can sneak one in Atlanta to win the series or else be faced with a very improbably seventh game of the opening round. Do I think Atlanta can do it? No, I don't--but I do believe they can stretch it to the maximum; it's just that Atlanta is not a good road team and of course Boston at home is like "buttah". But at least perhaps this will give more credibility to the conference than many--including myself--did not give to it previously.

Picture Source: NBA/Getty

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Celtics underestimating Hawks?

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