How To Watch NBA Playoffs First-Round: Hawks at Celtics Game 1
The 2022-23 NBA regular season has come to an end and with the Play-In Tournament coming to an end, it is officially time for the playoffs to begin!
On Saturday afternoon, the first-round series between the Atlanta Hawks and Boston Celtics will begin, as the two teams will meet in Boston for Game 1.
Last meeting one another in the 2016 playoffs, the Hawks and Celtics have had quite a few battles in the postseason.
After making the NBA Finals a season ago, Boston did not lose a step this season, as they finished the regular season with a 57-25 record, the second-best record in the entire league.
Jayson Tatum had himself an MVP-like season, Jaylen Brown will likely make the All-NBA list and Joe Mazzulla has done a fantastic job taking over the head coaching position from Ime Udoka.
They can defend and score at a higher rate this season compared to a year ago, which is why the Celtics have a very strong case for winning the East yet again.
Entering the year, the Hawks had high aspirations to be title contenders, but things have not gone their way. Injuries and inconsistent play stacked up for Trae Young and the Hawks, plus they made a head coaching change halfway through the year, replacing Nate McMillan with Quin Snyder.
Now, the Hawks are healthy and playing some of the best basketball they have played all year long, so maybe they will end up giving the Celtics a scare in the first-round and a run for their money!
Can Atlanta pull off a shocking Game 1 victory on Saturday or will the Celtics hold strong in front of their fans?
Here's how to watch Saturday’s game, with game time and TV, lineups, bios and other must-know details.
How to watch Hawks vs. Celtics
WHO: Atlanta Hawks (0-0) vs. Boston Celtics (0-0)
WHAT: 2023 NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs: First-Round, Game 1
WHEN: 3:30 p.m. ET, Saturday, April 15
WHERE: TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
TV: ESPN
Key Stats & Facts For Hawks vs. Celtics
- The Hawks and Celtics faced off three times during the regular season with the Celtics winning all three games, outscoring the Nets by 40 points.
- The Celtics finished the regular season ranking 2nd in offensive rating and 3rd in defensive rating, while the Hawks finished the regular season ranking 7th in offensive rating and 22nd in defensive rating.
- Boston is 32-9 at home this season and Atlanta is 17-24 on the road.
Last Matchup:
April 9, 2023 - Celtics 120, Hawks 114
The Celtics and Hawks both rested all of their starters in the final game of the regular season, so not much from this game really matters. However, Payton Pritchard, Mike Muscala and Sam Hauser combined for 83 points and 21 made threes in Boston’s victory. Who knows, maybe one of them will step up once again off-the-bench in this playoff series against Atlanta! For the Hawks, Onyeka Okongwu had yet another steady game with 10 points, 9 rebounds and a steal.
Latest Injury News:
Hawks Injuries: NONE
Celtics Injuries: Danilo Gallinari (knee) - Out
Projected Starters:
PROJECTED HAWKS STARTERS:
- G Trae Young, 6-1 guard: 26.2 points, 10.2 assists (2022-23 season stats)
- G Dejounte Murray, 6-4 guard: 20.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 6.1 assists
- F De’Andre Hunter, 6-8 forward: 15.4 points, 4.2 rebounds
- F John Collins, 6-9 forward: 13.1 points, 6.5 rebounds
- C Clint Capela, 6-10 center: 12.0 points, 11.0 rebounds
PROJECTED CELTICS STARTERS:
- G Marcus Smart, 6-3 guard: 11.5 points, 6.3 assists
- G/F Jaylen Brown, 6-6 guard/forward: 26.6 points, 6.9 rebounds
- F Jayson Tatum, 6-8 forward, 6-7 forward: 30.1 points, 8.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists
- F/C Al Horford, 6-9 forward/center: 9.8 points, 6.2 rebounds
- C Robert Williams III, 6-9 center: 8.0 points, 8.3 rebounds
Betting Odds:
- The Celtics are currently 8.5-point favorites over the Hawks as of Saturday morning, according to SI Sportsbook.
- The over/under for this matchup is currently set at 225.5 total points.
What to watch for:
- The Boston Celtics have made the playoffs for the ninth consecutive season, reaching the NBA Finals a season ago.
- The Atlanta Hawks have made the playoffs for the third consecutive season, losing in the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021.
- Boston is 49-12 this season when they score at least 110 points. Atlanta is 39-23 this season when they score at least 110 points.
- The Celtics and Hawks have played a total of 71 playoff games and 12 playoff series all-time. Boston is 42-29 against Atlanta in the postseason and they are 10-2 against the Hawks in playoff series.
Be sure to catch up on the newest episode of The Fast Break Podcast hosted by Fastbreak's own Brett Siegel!
Streaming on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, The Fast Break Podcast takes you inside the league with the latest news, intel, rumors and interviews from those close to the action for all 30 teams. Be on the lookout for a new episodes every Friday.
