Schedule and 2011-12 Results
Regular Season Records: Atlanta 40-26, Boston 39-27
Game 1 on Sunday, 29 April: Boston loses at Atlanta, 83-pts-74
Game 2 on Tuesday, 01 May: Boston wins at Atlanta, 87-pts-80
Game 3 on Friday, 04 May: Atlanta loses at Boston, 90-pts-84 (OT)
Game 4 on Sunday, 06 May: Atlanta loses at Boston, 101-pts-79
Game 5 on Tuesday, 08 May: Boston loses at Atlanta, 87-pts-86
Game 6 on Thursday, 10 May: Atlanta loses at Boston, 83-pts-80

SERIES NOTES:

After Game 6: The Boston Celtics hosted and defeated the Atlanta Hawks 83-pts-80 to notch a 4-games-2 MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1173 win. With the series 1173 win, the Boston Celtics improve their best-of-7 NBA playoff series record to 61-21 overall and 6-2 in the Preliminary round. With the series 1173 loss, the Atlanta Hawks see their best-of-7 NBA playoff series record fall to 5-19 overall and 3-2 in the Preliminary round. The series 1173 win order for the victorious Boston Celtics was LWWWLW: Series 1173 thus becomes the fourth NBA Preliminary-round series, the 12th NBA series (all rounds), and the 45th MLB/NBA/NHL series (all rounds) to follow that win order to completion. Boston has now won all six best-of-7 NBA playoff series meetings with the Atlanta Hawks.

After Game 5: With MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1173 back in Georgia, the Atlanta Hawks hosted and defeated the Boston Celtics 87-pts-86 to reduce the Boston series 1173 lead to 3-games-2. When leading a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 3-games-2, the Boston Celtics have a 34-2 series record and a 19-17 Game 6 record. When trailing a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 3-games-2, the Atlanta Hawks have a 1-6 series record and a 3-4 Game 6 record. The sole Atlanta series win in this situation occurred in series 1106, in which the Hawks defeated the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2010 NBA Preliminary round.

After Game 4: The Boston Celtics hosted and defeated the Atlanta Hawks 101-pts-79 to take a 3-games-1 lead in MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1173. When leading a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 3-games-1, the Boston Celtics have a 25-0 series record and a 16-9 Game 5 record. When trailing a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 3-games-1, the Atlanta Hawks have a 0-9 series record and a 2-7 Game 5 record.

After Game 3: With MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1173 in Massachusetts for Games 3-4, the Boston Celtics hosted and defeated the Atlanta Hawks 90-pts-84 in overtime. Boston thus takes a 2-games-1 series 1173 lead. When leading a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 2-games-1, the Boston Celtics have a 38-3 series record (with an active six-series winning streak) and a 17-24 Game 4 record. When trailing a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 2-games-1, the Atlanta Hawks have a 1-12 series record and a 6-7 Game 4 record.

After Game 2: Surmounting a five-point deficit after three quarters, the visiting Boston Celtics rallied to defeat the Atlanta Hawks 87-pts-80 to tie MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1173 at 1-game-all. When tied 1-game-all in a best-of-7 NBA playoff series, the Boston Celtics have a 25-13 series record and a 20-18 Game 3 record, while the Atlanta Hawks have a 2-7 series record and a 1-8 Game 3 record. In the history of best-of-7 NBA playoff series from 1947 through 2011, inclusive, road teams such as Boston which trailed by five points after three quarters had a game record of 17-66 (.205). The last road team to trail by five points after three quarters of an NBA Preliminary-round playoff game but emerge victorious was the Dallas Mavericks in series 946 Game 3, over the Rockets in Houston in their 2005 NBA Preliminary-round series.

After Game 1: The Atlanta Hawks hosted and defeated the Boston Celtics 83-pts-74 to take a 1-game-nil lead in MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1173. When leading a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 1-game-nil, the Atlanta Hawks have a series record of 5-1 and a Game 2 record of 3-3. When trailing a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 1-game-nil, the Boston Celtics have a series record of 9-16 and a Game 2 record of 16-9.

Pre-series assessment: In the 2011-12 NBA regular season, Atlanta finished one game ahead of Boston. From 1947 through the 2011 NBA Finals round, inclusive, when NBA teams led their best-of-7 playoff series opponents by one regular-season game, they have posted a 16-18 (.471) best-of-7 series record in those series against those opponents. MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1173 is the 82nd best-of-7 NBA playoff series for Boston, and the 24th for Atlanta. In best-of-7 NBA playoff series, Boston has a 60-21 series record, a 5-2 Preliminary-round series record with an active four-series winning streak, and a 56-25 Game 1 record, while Atlanta has a 5-18 series record, a 3-1 Preliminary-round record with a three-series winning streak, and a 6-17 Game 1 record. Series 1173 is the sixth best-of-7 NBA playoff series meeting between the Boston Celtics and the Atlanta Hawks: Boston won series 254 (1972 NBA Quarterfinals), 269 (1973 NBA Quarterfinals), 466 (1986 NBA Quarterfinals), 516 (1988 NBA Quarterfinals), and 1038 (2008 NBA Preliminary round) for a 5-0 advantage in their previous meetings.