Plus - Can the Celtics beat the Hawks in the first round of the playoffs?
Avery Bradley never ceases to amaze me. He's having a heck of a year, becoming a very important piece to the Celtics puzzle. On Friday night, he took it to another level.
Bradley bent down to tie is sneaker as the Hawks brought the ball up the court. Just a second later though, he pops up and steals the ball. The Celtics turn it into two points at the other end. Check out the video below:
And that folks, is multi-tasking at its finest. Was the sneaker tying just a decoy? Perhaps. But either way, it was entertaining. It's too bad the Celtics couldn't come up with the win, but they'll have plenty of time to beat the Hawks once the playoffs start.
Speaking of the playoffs...
In 2008, the Hawks and Celtics first round playoff series went to seven games. This year, the C's edged the Hawks 2-1 in the season series. While Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen were all there is 2008, the rest of this team is pretty different.
Yes, Rajon Rondo was there, but he was nowhere near as dominant as he is today. He will be a major factor in the playoffs. And our buddy Avery Bradley will also be a key component. Here's a fun fact from WEEI's Green Street Blog:
Boston Celtics guard Avery Bradley shoots as Atlanta Hawks guard Willie Green defends Friday night.Avery Bradley was a junior in high school the last time these two teams met in a playoff game. Now, he’s replaced Allen in the starting lineup.
So who has the advantage in this playoff series? Here's what WEEI had to say after comparing the C's and the Hawks.
Really, an argument could be made for either team as the superior offense. Atlanta scores more, hits the offensive glass harder and turns the ball over less frequently, but the Celtics shoot more efficiently from the field and the free throw line while ranking atop the NBA in passing.
Oversimplifying, if the C’s can rebound and take care of the ball, home court shouldn’t matter. After all, Bovada lists the Celtics at 16-1 to win the NBA title — significantly better odds than the Hawks (75-1).
Does home-court advantage matter?
If you ask the Celtics, they're probably going to say no. Why? Well did you see the lineup they sent out there on Friday night? As ESPN Boston puts it:
By sending out a junior varsity lineup on Friday night in a head-to-head matchup with Atlanta, the Celtics have essentially stated they don't care who lands home-court advantage, preferring to err on the side or rest and health over opening the series in Boston.
With two games left, Tuesday against the Miami Heat and Thursday against the Milwaukee Bucks, the Celtics still have a chance at gaining home-court advantage, and if they have the same record as the Hawks at the end of the regular season, they'll earn the advantage because of their 2-1 regular series record over Atlanta.
The Hawks have the L.A. Clippers and the Dallas Mavericks left on their schedule.
Regular season finale
The last two games of the season mean a lot to many teams since the top seed in the East is still up for grabs. The Heat need to win their last two games while the Bulls need to lose their last two if Miami wants to hold onto the No. 1 seed.
The Celtics will try to stand in their way tonight. SportingNews looked ahead to the second round of the playoffs and they like the Celtics' odds:
Should Boston beat Atlanta in the first round, they are experienced enough to present a problem for the top seed in the second round, while the third-seeded Pacers are playoff newbies.
I'm not sure if I'd rather the Celtics match up with the Bulls or the Heat in the second round, but one thing I do know, is that neither team will be easy to beat.