Hawks Eye LeBron James, Cavaliers After Clearing Historical Playoff Hurdle
A tougher test now awaits in the form of the Cleveland Cavaliers, but the Atlanta Hawks finally did the impossible by beating the Boston Celtics in a playoff series.
Emerging from Game 6 with a 104-92 victory in front of the stunned hometown crowd at the TD Garden, they refused to succumb to the franchise's historical futility against this particular opponent.
Before Thursday night, Atlanta's last Beantown victory in the playoffs came all the way back in 1988, when Dominique Wilkins, Kevin Willis and Doc Rivers all scored at least 20 points against the Big Three of Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish. Before that, the Hawks hadn't toppled the C's on the road since Pete Maravich and Lou Hudson led the way on April 6, 1973.
But that's not where the victors' prior struggles end.
Entering the Game 6 shellacking, the Hawks had posted a putrid 28-42 lifetime record against their Eastern Conference foes, dating all the way back to the franchise's days in St. Louis. This is the 12th series between these two organizations, and it's only the second time the Hawks have emerged with their chins raised:
| 1957 | NBA Finals | Celtics 4, Hawks 3 |
| 1958 | NBA Finals | Hawks 4, Celtics 2 |
| 1960 | NBA Finals | Celtics 4, Hawks 3 |
| 1961 | NBA Finals | Celtics 4, Hawks 1 |
| 1972 | Eastern Conference Semifinals | Celtics 4, Hawks 2 |
| 1973 | Eastern Conference Semifinals | Celtics 4, Hawks 2 |
| 1983 | Eastern Conference First Round | Celtics 2, Hawks 1 |
| 1986 | Eastern Conference Semifinals | Celtics 4, Hawks 1 |
| 1988 | Eastern Conference Semifinals | Celtics 4, Hawks 3 |
| 2008 | Eastern Conference First Round | Celtics 4, Hawks 3 |
| 2012 | Eastern Conference First Round | Celtics 4, Hawks 2 |
| 2016 | Eastern Conference First Round | Hawks 4, Celtics 2 |
They finally got past their playoff bugaboo, doing so in dominant fashion with a beatdown of their foes in a hostile environment; don't be fooled by the final margin of 12 points, since it swelled to as many as 28 early in the fourth quarter. Balance ruled the day on offense, and the interior defense continued to suffocate attempted penetration by opposing guards and wings.
But this doesn't give Atlanta license to sit back and rest on its laurels—if you can even consider a first-round victory over a team playing without Avery Bradley and with a limited Kelly Olynyk deserving of laurels.
LeBron James is waiting in the second round, and that's where history is working against the Hawks yet again.
We're not just talking about last year's Eastern Conference Finals, when Cleveland got out the brooms and steamrolled an injury-riddled version of the 60-win Hawks. Nor are we referring solely to the fact Atlanta is 0-8 against the Cavaliers throughout the franchise's postseason history, getting swept in both 2015 and 2009.
Lately, James just refuses to be denied on his path to the NBA Finals.
Since his first tenure in Northeast Ohio came to a close, he's advanced to the last round every year. During 2011, he helped carry the Miami Heat to that ultimate stage before losing to the Dallas Mavericks, but that unfortunate result was quickly followed by back-to-back titles. Though the 2014 and 2015 postseasons didn't go so smoothly, they still ended with losses against Western Conference foes.
If the Hawks want to continue their run, they must become the first Eastern squad to hand the four-time MVP a series loss since—you guessed it—the Celtics did so six years ago. And though Cleveland will likely be heavily favored to advance, this Atlanta outfit is vastly different from the version that suffered an embarrassing four-game defeat one season ago.
Head coach Mike Budenholzer couldn't guide it to 60 wins, and DeMarre Carroll is now playing for the Toronto Raptors, but this team is arguably set up better against the Cavaliers. The wing stopper likely to play hefty minutes against James (Thabo Sefolosha) hasn't suffered a broken leg at the hands of the New York Police Department, and the roster has a distinct defensive identity.
During the regular season, the Hawks gave up just 101.4 points per 100 possessions—a stellar mark that left them trailing only the historically dominant San Antonio Spurs. From the beginning of February through the 82nd game on the calendar, that number dropped to 99.5, making Atlanta the second half's most dominant defense.
"Our offense hasn't been there, so our defense has had to be better," Kyle Korver told ESPN.com's Zach Lowe in late March. "There has been growth in the team because of that realization. And now we're starting to figure some things out offensively. I think we peaked too early last year. Hopefully this year, our best basketball is ahead of us."
If the playoffs are any indication, Korver was correct.
Heading into the series-deciding Game 6 victory, one in which they held Boston to just 92 points, the Hawks had posted a 94.3 defensive rating against the regular season's No. 10 offense. They'd constantly thrown multiple defenders at Isaiah Thomas while forcing all ball-handlers to the baselines and subsequently collapsing on the passing lanes. Every adjustment Budenholzer made seemed to work.
Of course, guarding James and the Cavaliers is a different beast. As Joe Vardon wrote for Cleveland.com, he tore apart the Hawks during last year's Eastern Conference Finals:
"Cleveland swept both Atlanta and the Celtics out of the playoffs a year ago. But it was the Hawks upon whose forehead he left his personal footprint.
James averaged 30.3 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 9.3 assists against the Hawks in the East finals last season. No other player in NBA history has ever averaged at least 30 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists in a playoff series.
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Not only is it far more difficult (read: nearly impossible) to stop LBJ in isolation, but the team also has to worry about Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love—secondary scorers far more talented than anyone Boston has to offer.
But Atlanta won't be intimidated this time around. Though it may have lost each of the three regular-season meetings on the 2015-16 calendar (one in overtime on April 1), it hasn't played this well all season. The defense is clicking, and the offense moved past Brad Stevens' troops even without inspired contributions from Al Horford.
Plus, the Hawks have now gotten the biggest historical monkey off their collective back. And if they can peel one of those primates away from the neon-sprinkled uniforms, removing two could be possible as well.
Adam Fromal covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter @fromal09.
Unless otherwise indicated, all stats are from Basketball-Reference.com or Adam's databases.
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