Mauldin native Kevin Garnett begins his quest for a second NBA Championship not far from where he grew up. Garnett's Celtics are on the road at the Atlanta Hawks in Game 1 of their first-round series. The game will be broadcast on TNT with a 7 p.m. tip.
Even though the Celtics are the higher seed by virtue of winning their division, and took two of three regular season meetings, the Hawks will have home-court advantage in the Best of 7 series. Atlanta finished the abbreviated season one game better than Boston with a 40-26 mark.
At the All-Star break it seemed unlikely that the Celtics would even be in the playoffs, muddling along at 15-17. But Coach Doc Rivers switched Garnett to the center spot and shortened the bench. The result was a 24-10 second half that now has Beantown fans optimistic.
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It is a widely-held assumption that this will be the last hurrah for the Celtics' "Big Four" of Garnett, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo. Garnett and Allen become free agents after the season and Rondo has long been the source of trade speculation.
Trade rumors surrounded the team up to the trade deadline, including one that had .
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But those rumors are forgotten now and the focus is back on the court.
Some have picked the Celtics as a sleeper to make it to the Finals. They may have lost that status and moved up a spot after Saturday's games. With Derrick Rose now out for the rest of the season after tearing his ACL, the Bulls went from being a favorite to a long shot. The clear favorite to come out of the East is now the Miami Heat. Which is who the Celtics would face if they get past the Hawks.
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