After upsetting the Miami Heat in the NBA Play-in Tournament on Tuesday, the Atlanta Hawks are moving on to face the No. 2 seed Boston Celtics in the first round of the 2023 NBA Playoffs.
This won't be the first time they 've squared off in the postseason, though. Here's everything you need to know before they clash again.
- Celtics vs Hawks All-Time Playoff History
- Celtics-Hawks Season Series 2023
- Celtics vs Hawks Odds and Prediction for 2023 Playoff Series
Celtics vs Hawks All-Time Playoff History
Boston and Atlanta have already played 71 postseason games each against other, most recently in 2016. The Celtics hold a clear edge in those matchups with 42 wins compared to 29 for the Hawks.
The two sides first met in the postseason during the 1957 NBA Finals, when the Hawks were still in St. Louis and played in the Western Conference. Led by Bill Russell, Boston won that hard-fought series in seven games, earning the first of its 17 championships so far.
The Celtics and Hawks have played each other in 12 postseason series, with Boston winning 10 of them. Atlanta won their most recent duel in 2016, however, taking down the Celtics in six games during the first round.
|
Year |
Round |
Result |
|---|---|---|
|
1957 |
NBA Finals |
Celtics win 4-3 |
|
1958 |
NBA Finals |
Hawks win 4-2 |
|
1960 |
NBA Finals |
Celtics win 4-3 |
|
1961 |
NBA Finals |
Celtics win 4-1 |
|
1972 |
Eastern Conference Semifinals |
Celtics win 4-2 |
|
1973 |
Eastern Conference Semifinals |
Celtics win 4-2 |
|
1983 |
Eastern Conference First Round |
Celtics win 2-1 |
|
1986 |
Eastern Conference Semifinals |
Celtics win 4-1 |
|
1988 |
Eastern Conference Semifinals |
Celtics win 4-3 |
|
2008 |
Eastern Conference First Round |
Celtics win 4-3 |
|
2012 |
Eastern Conference First Round |
Celtics win 4-2 |
|
2016 |
Eastern Conference First Round |
Hawks win 4-2 |
Celtics-Hawks Season Series 2023
The Celtics and Hawks faced off three times during the 2022-23 NBA regular season. Unfortunately for Atlanta, Boston won all three of those matchups.
The Celtics won their first regular-season meeting handily on Nov. 16, blowing out the Hawks 126-101 at State Farm Arena. Boston returned to Atlanta in March and earned another road win, defeating the Hawks 134-125 on March 11.
The two teams met on the final day of the regular season on April 9 . Even with both teams resting their starters ahead of the playoffs, the Celtics still prevailed, earning a 120-114 victory at TD Garden.
|
Date |
Location |
Score |
|---|---|---|
|
Nov. 16, 2022 |
S tate Farm Arena |
Celtics win 126-101 |
|
March 11, 2023 |
State Farm Arena |
Celtics win 134-125 |
|
April 9, 2023 |
TD Garden |
Celtics win 120-114 |
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Celtics vs Hawks Odds and Prediction for 2023 Playoff Series
After dominating the regular-season series, it's not surprising to see the Celtics heavily favored over the Hawks on FanDuel Sportsbook's NBA odds. Boston is currently listed as a -1000 favorite to take the series, while Atlanta is a +660 underdog.
The Celtics are simply a much better, deeper team with more star power. They won 16 more games than the Hawks did during the regular season and were one of the best teams in the NBA on both ends of the floor, averaging the fourth-most points per game (117.9) on offense while giving up the fifth-fewest (111.4) on defense.
Atlanta can match Boston on offense, but defense is a different story. The Hawks ranked third in scoring at 118.4 points per game but were one of the worst defensive teams in the league, surrendering the fifth-most points per game (118.1).
We've seen what Trae Young can do in the playoffs, but asking him to beat one of the NBA's top teams this year in seven games is too much. Jayson Tatum is better than Young, just a s Boston's No. 2 (Jaylen Brown) is better than Atlanta's No. 2 (Dejounte Murray).
It wouldn't be surprising to see the Celtics sweep this series, but the Hawks will probably steal a game at home if Young goes off. Expect Boston to take the series in five (+170).