The Boston Celtics have all the motivation in the world heading into Game 5.
After defeating the Atlanta Hawks in Game 4 on Sunday night, the Celtics now have the upper hand as the first-round series returns to Boston. They'll be in front of their home crowd, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are rolling and the Hawks might be without Dejounte Murray.
If the Celtics can take care of business Tuesday, it'll be all she wrote for the Hawks. And pending all goes well for the Celtics in Game 5, they'll begin their semifinal round Saturday night, as revealed by Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston.
But if the Hawks push the series to a Game 6, and Boston wins in Atlanta, then the semifinals will begin on May 1 at TD Garden.
The Philadelphia 76ers already did their job and swept the Brooklyn Nets. They're currently awaiting the winner of Boston and Atlanta, however, to begin the semifinals. I's possible that the 76ers will do so without injured star Joel Embiid (sprained ankle).
The Celtics made some noteworthy adjustments in Game 4 against the Hawks, addressing the defensive miscues, particularly limiting the threat of second-chance points and Atlanta's bench depth.
"I feel like this was a must-win game in our eyes," Robert Williams told reporters Sunday night, as seen on NBC Sports Boston's postgame coverage. "Just ready to play the next one."
