Boston Celtics End of Season Wrap Up

Predicted Outcome: 50-32, third place Southeast Division
Finished: 44-38, third place Southeast Division, 6-6 playoffs

The Atlanta Hawks finished the regular season rather poorly winning nine less games than they did last season. The Hawks lost their last six games in a row finishing just two games ahead of the New York Knicks from the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference. To add insult to injury Atlanta was set to face the Orlando Magic in the first round—a team that embarrassingly swept them last year. Many expected to Hawks to fold yet again in the playoffs as they always had throughout the franchise’s history; how shocked their doubters must have been when they found the Hawks advancing in the first round against the Magic and grinding it out in the Conference Semi Finals against the Chicago Bulls to lose in six games.

The Magic were the odds on favorites to beat the Hawks as well as one of the odds on favorites to advance to the NBA Finals. Last season, Dwight Howard just pounded Atlanta as the Hawks had no answer for him defensively; however, this season Atlanta found the best way to contain Howard. Instead of trying in vain to stop Dwight Howard, the Hawks allowed him to dominate the series. Howard simply just dismantled the Hawks posting 27 points and 15 boards per game in the series; unfortunately, however, his teammates did not fare any better as Atlanta clamped down on them defensively. By doing that, the Hawks essentially forced Dwight Howard to win the game for his team. The rest of the Magic were reduced to the role of spectators as Howard dominated the ball while they stood in the background. That doomed the magic as the Atlanta hawks would avenge their unceremonious end of their season losing to the Magic 4-0 and knock them out of the first round four games to two.
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