Boston’s first-round matchup against the Hawks marks the ninth time these two teams have met in the playoffs. The first meeting was the 1972 NBA Playoffs, and the Celtics had won every meeting up until the last time these two teams met, which was the 2016 NBA Playoffs.
Neither team has been swept in any of the previous eight postseason meetings between the franchises. The most common outcome has been a 4-2 series win, which has happened four times.
As for this series, the Celtics are heavy favorites to take care of business as the No. 2 seed in the East. They’ll of course start the series on Saturday in Boston, with the game tipping off on ESPN at 3:30 p.m.
Here’s a look at the rest of the Celtics’ first-round schedule:
- Game 2 - Tuesday, April 18 at 7 p.m. in Boston and on NBA TV
- Game 3 - Friday, April 21 at 7 p.m. in Atlanta and on ESPN
- Game 4 - Sunday, April 23 at 7 p.m. in Atlanta and on TNT
- Game 5 (if needed) - Tuesday, April 25 in Boston - start time and broadcast TBD
- Game 6 (if needed) - Thursday, April 27 in Atlanta - start time and broadcast TBD
- Game 7 (if needed) - Saturday, April 29 in Boston - start time and broadcast TBD