Knicks or Celtics? Who is most likely and who do you want?

[REHawksFan]

Knicks are currently 37-29 with 6 games to play:  @PHX, @LAC, @LAL, SA, CHA, BOS

Celtics are currently 35-31 with 6 games to play:  @CHI, MIA, MIA, @CLEV, @MIN, @NYK

The knicks could realistically go 3-2 or 4-1 leading up to the bos game.  That would put them at 40-31 or 41-30.  The celtics could realistically go 5-0 or 4-1 leading up to the last game.  That would put them at 40-31 or 39-32.  The winner of the last game of the season between these two would get the tiebreaker if necessary.  So as long as the two teams are within a game of each other, the winner gets the 5 seed and faces Hawks as the 4 seed.

I'm now saying the 4 seed because after beating the Suns (combined with the Knick loss), the Hawks have a manageable schedule to go 4-1 or 5-0.  That would put the Hawks at 41-31 or 42-30.  I think 42-30 about guarantees the 4 seed and 41-31 would make it possible but not a certainty.  

Question:  What happens if Knicks, Hawks, and Celtics are all 41-31 with each holding a tiebreak over one other team??  What is the secondary tiebreak?  

 

Regardless, it's looking more and more like one of these two teams would be the Hawks 1st round opponent.  Any preference?  

[marco102]

3 minutes ago, REHawksFan said:

Knicks are currently 37-29 with 6 games to play:  @PHX, @LAC, @LAL, SA, CHA, BOS

Celtics are currently 35-31 with 6 games to play:  @CHI, MIA, MIA, @CLEV, @MIN, @NYK

The knicks could realistically go 3-2 or 4-1 leading up to the bos game.  That would put them at 40-31 or 41-30.  The celtics could realistically go 5-0 or 4-1 leading up to the last game.  That would put them at 40-31 or 39-32.  The winner of the last game of the season between these two would get the tiebreaker if necessary.  So as long as the two teams are within a game of each other, the winner gets the 5 seed and faces Hawks as the 4 seed.

I'm now saying the 4 seed because after beating the Suns (combined with the Knick loss), the Hawks have a manageable schedule to go 4-1 or 5-0.  That would put the Hawks at 41-31 or 42-30.  I think 42-30 about guarantees the 4 seed and 41-31 would make it possible but not a certainty.  

Question:  What happens if Knicks, Hawks, and Celtics are all 41-31 with each holding a tiebreak over one other team??  What is the secondary tiebreak?  

 

Regardless, it's looking more and more like one of these two teams would be the Hawks 1st round opponent.  Any preference?  

Division winner, the Hawks in this case, wins the tie breaker in a three way tie. Hawks would be the fourth. I don't care who they play, if we get Hunter back, I feel confident the Hawks can beat anyone.

[AHF]

I'd always rather beat the Celtics but I do think their playoff experience is something I don't like and I can already hear all the excuses about how this didn't really count for them.  At this point, I'm not worried about who we face in the first round and more am focused on us finishing in the top 6 and whether we can get homecourt.  I'll be pumped to see us face any of the Knicks, Heat, Celtics, etc. if that happens.

[REHawksFan]

39 minutes ago, AHF said:

I'd always rather beat the Celtics but I do think their playoff experience is something I don't like and I can already hear all the excuses about how this didn't really count for them.  At this point, I'm not worried about who we face in the first round and more am focused on us finishing in the top 6 and whether we can get homecourt.  I'll be pumped to see us face any of the Knicks, Heat, Celtics, etc. if that happens.

Hawks just need to go 3-2 to clinch top 6 (40-32 overall) as either the Heat or Celtics will finish with at least 32 losses.  That seems immensely doable to me.  And with the Hawks winning last night, homecourt is also more in play now.   My thing is health.  If healthy, I think the Hawks can and will beat any of their potential 1st round opponents.    

[JayBirdHawk]

I want whoever, we taking on all comers...bring it!

[BrazilianHawk]

I believe we are better prepared to face the Celtics. They don't have much depth at C, which I think would be very troublesome for them if they were to play against us.  IMHO that would be our ticket to the semifinals.

And I honestly would like to avoid Randle. That guy has something when he plays against the Hawks. I also don't like the Capela-Noel matchup. In spite of Capela being the better player, for whatever reason Nerlens seems to get A LOT of offensive boards against us. 

[Final_quest]

I fear Boston more because of the officiating.  Actually fear the refs controlling the series more than either team.  The Knicks making the playoffs is a story, but the league doesn't have much invested in them having a deep playoff run. 

The league wants Boston in the next round.  ...And they definitely prefer the Knicks to us, but they are hungry to get Boston playing in round 2.  Boston would be like playing against their coach's dad as referee.  

[sturt]

Really, you couldn't ask for a better situation if what you want for the Hawks is national attention, right? Either way, this is going to be sports talk fodder on national shows, unlike what it would be, of course, if the most likely options were, say, MIA or PHI. There is no more greater media hype than when your opponent is from NY or BOS... maybe the same, but never greater.

And, newsflash, pass this one by if you already read it, but I don't care who we play. I just want us to play well, and in so doing, get a head start on arguably the most valid effort in pursuit of a ring since Doc, Wittman, Nique, Willis and Tree and company made their valiant... nay... legendary (I mean, non-Hawks fans still talk about that series to this day, right)... attempt to knock down Bird's Cs in the late 80s.

"But sturt, we just defeated one of the prime contenders from the West... don't you think the Hawks can now legitimately think of winning the East?"

No. At least, not without some significant injuries that would pull off the floor some significant players in PHI and/or BKN and/or MIL.  I could be wrong. I hope, of course, I'm terribly wrong. But no sane sober person would have any confidence in a Hawks ascension to the East throne in 20-21. Great progress. But it's a steep hill, and there's some hard climbing still in front of us.

Playing well, of course, doesn't mean lose, so when I say I just want us to play well, that absolutely means win all that we can. But. Then, when this 2020-21 campaign is in the books... measure ourselves by whether it seems more likely than not that we achieved as much as was reasonable...

That is... not by whether we won the East, nor even... depending on officiating, depending on health of our roster... a single series against the Ceptics or Knuckleheads.

[Gray Mule]

STURT is correct.  Hawks are still in the growing part.  We're not great.  We're just good.  We have so many who have little or no experience in the playoffs.  After we go thru whatever happens, Atlanta will be better for the experience.

Maybe, after this season, everything falls apart.  We hope not.  Hawks have been down.  We don't want to go there again.  Stay out of the lottery.  And, we sure don't want to be luke-warm.  Neither hot or cold.  Dream a little about winning everything this season.  What does this hurt?  But, we really dream of winning everything next season.  Why wait.  Let's just win it all now!  I know.  A dream.  Still - - - - 

[NBASupes]

It don't matter to me. Get 4th seed damnit!

[MaceCase]

Personally I prefer the dysfunctional team that has trouble fielding a full NBA roster beyond their two stars.  A series victory also has the potential to see both Braaaaad and Strange sent packing and a joyful offseason of “what went wrong?!” and “where do they go from here?!” spamming the airwaves and internets with little mention of the Hawks no matter how their remaining playoff run goes. 
 

The Knicks might resurrect the dark days of the 90’s aiming for today’s equivalent of an 80-77 final score which is probably like 101-98.  Thibs and Nate might even run Oklahoma drills against each other during TV timeouts to see who can out-methodical the other.

Nice that there’s a guarantee NONE of the games will be on at 7pm on NBATV though

[High5]

I would be more concerned facing a hot Boston team. I feel like NY has been playing over their heads for a while now and they're the one team maybe even more inexperienced than we are. Would get more enjoyment from knocking them out as well. Their fans have been out of control lately (not that I really blame them).

[Spud2nique]

We go in as healthy as possible and with good chemistry and play our brand of basketball then bring on anyone.

Having said that, if I could play Monday morning QB and go back and select who we would have beaten, it would be the Celts, I really hate them.