After Atlanta’s victory Tuesday night against the higher seeded Miami Heat, the first round match has been set. The Boston Celtics will host the Hawks in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. The Miami Heat will continue to search for a spot in the playoffs against the winner of Chicago/Toronto.
Despite many predictions, the Hawks jumped to a quick lead after the first half, carrying a 24 point lead in the second quarter. They continued to play well until the final buzzer, shocking the home Miami crowd. The Hawks had an all-around effort from their team; seven players had ten or more points. Trae Young had a below-average game, but still gave his team 24 points, eight boards, and seven rebounds. Clint Capela did his best Dennis Rodman impression, putting a mere four points on the box score but pulled down 21 rebounds.
On the other end, the Heat could never cover the deficit they had built in the first half. Kyle Lowry had 33 points, but Jimmy Butler’s poor shooting night didn’t help. Aside from Lowry, the Heat’s bench only gave them four points, both baskets coming in garbage time.
The series officially kicks off on Saturday, but until then, here are two things to watch for in the first round series.
Things got a little bit chippy when the two teams met in March. The forefront of the frustration is highlighted by both teams’ guards, Marcus Smart and Trae Young. Those two, without a doubt, will be a matchup to watch.
Smart, who won the previous DPOY, is one of the best perimeter defenders in the league. Young, who has averaged over 25 points for the fourth consecutive season, is one of the best shooters from distance in the league.
Young’s averages in the 10 games played against Smart are all lower than his current season average. Smart, on average, holds Young to four less points per game and two less assists per game.
Smart and Young have never faced one another in a playoff atmosphere, so expect this matchup to be intense.
In the three games faced between Boston and Atlanta this season, Boston took victories in all three. These games have all been incredibly high-scoring matchups. The largest margin of victory came in November with a 25 point win and the smallest was in early April, a six point win.
[Related: Celtics Beat Toronto, to Face Miami or Atlanta in Playoffs]
In November, the Celtics grabbed a quick 12 point lead in the first quarter. From there, they were able to control the game. In March, the Celtics dominated the second quarter and hit a barrage of 3-pointers to win. April’s game saw a dominant third quarter; a quarter the Celtics typically struggle with. However, the Celtics knocked down 25 threes to seal the win in the end.
The difference in stories between these two teams are the volume of which 3-pointers are shot. Through the three games between Boston and Atlanta, 28 three pointers were made from the Hawks. This doesn’t even begin to compare to the 66 made threes from Boston, an average of 22 per game.
Boston will host the first-round series at 3:30 PM EST on Saturday the 15th. Will Trae Young put up a masterclass or will the juggernaut Celtics clear the way to the second-round?
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(Cover image credits to Brian Babineau/Getty Images)
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