Schedule and 2022-23 Results
Regular Season Records: Boston 57-25, Atlanta 41-41
Game 1 on Saturday, 15 April: Atlanta loses at Boston, 112-pts-99
Game 2 on Tuesday, 18 April: Atlanta loses at Boston, 119-pts-106
Game 3 on Friday, 21 April: Boston loses at Atlanta, 130-pts-122
Game 4 on Sunday, 23 April: Boston wins at Atlanta, 129-pts-121
Game 5 on Tuesday, 25 April: Atlanta wins at Boston, 119-pts-117
Game 6 on Thursday, 27 April: Boston wins at Atlanta, 128-pts-120

SERIES NOTES:

After Game 6: The Boston Celtics visited and defeated the Atlanta Hawks 128-pts-120 to complete a 4-games-2 best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1534 victory. With the series 1534 win, the Boston Celtics improve their best-of-7 NBA playoff series record to 73-31 overall and 12-6 in the Preliminary round. With the series 1534 loss, the Atlanta Hawks see their best-of-7 NBA playoff series record fall to 10-27 overall and 6-7 in the Preliminary round. The win order for the victorious Boston Celtics in series 1534 was WWLWLW: Series 1534 thus becomes the fifth NBA Preliminary-round series, the 23rd NBA series (all rounds), and the 53rd MLB/NBA/NHL series (all rounds) to follow that win order to completion. With their series 1534 loss, the Atlanta Hawks now have a 0-17 best-of-7 NBA playoff series record upon having trailed such a series 2-games-nil.

After Game 5: The Atlanta Hawks visited and defeated the Boston Celtics 119-pts-117 to reduce the Boston Celtics best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL series 1534 lead to 3-games-2. When leading a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 3-games-2, the Boston Celtics have a series record of 41-4 and a Game 6 record of 21-24 (with an active five-Game 6 losing streak). When trailing a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 3-games-2, the Atlanta Hawks have a series record of 1-10 (with an active five-series losing streak) and a Game 6 record of 3-8 (with an active five-Game 6 losing streak). Trailing a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 3-games-2, the Atlanta Hawks achieved their sole series victory in series 1106, over the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2010 NBA Preliminary round. The Atlanta Hawks trailed the host Boston Celtics by ten points as late as after three quarters but emerged victorious: In the history of best-of-7 NBA playoff games from 1947 through Monday, inclusive, road teams down ten points as late as after three quarters had a game record of only 3-82 (.035) - the Atlanta Hawks thus achieve a grade-A in-game comeback.

After Game 4: The Boston Celtics visited and defeated the Atlanta Hawks 129-pts-121 to take a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1534 lead of 3-games-1. When leading a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 3-games-1, the Boston Celtics have a series record of 27-0 and a Game 5 record of 17-10. When trailing a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 3-games-1, the Atlanta Hawks have a series record of 0-11 and a Game 5 record of 3-8. Only once before (in eleven tries) had the Atlanta Hawks taken a best-of-7 NBA playoff series in which they trailed 3-games-1 to seven games: In series 359, the Hawks extended the old Washington Bullets to seven games before losing in their 1979 NBA Quarterfinals series. Twice have the Boston Celtics required a Game 7 victory to achieve a best-of-7 NBA playoff series victory when they had led 3-games-1: in series 178 (over the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1966 NBA Finals); in series 492 (over the Milwaukee Bucks in the 1987 NBA Quarterfinals).

After Game 3: The Atlanta Hawks hosted and bested the Boston Celtics 130-pts-122 to reduce the Boston Celtics best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL series 1534 lead to 2-games-1. When leading a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 2-games-1, the Boston Celtics have a series record of 43-5 and a Game 4 record of 18-30 (with an active six-Game 4 losing streak). When trailing a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 2-games-1, the Atlanta Hawks have a series record of 3-17 and a Game 4 record of 11-9. Irrespective of Games 1-3, the Boston Celtics have seen their Game 4 outcome presage their series outcome in their last six such series (three wins, three losses).

After Game 2: The Boston Celtics hosted and defeated the Atlanta Hawks 119-pts-106 to take a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1534 lead of 2-games-nil. When leading a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 2-games-nil, the Boston Celtics have a series record of 41-1 (with an active four-series winning streak) and a Game 3 record of 17-25. When trailing a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 2-games-nil, the Atlanta Hawks have a series record of 0-16 and a Game 3 record of 8-8. The sole series loss suffered by the Boston Celtics in the wake of a 2-games-nil lead in a best-of-7 NBA playoff series occurred in series 1380, to the Cleveland Cavaliers in seven games in the 2018 NBA Semifinals. Irrespective of Game 1 outcome, the Boston Celtics in best-of-7 NBA playoff series have seen their Game 2 outcome presage their series outcome in their last ten such series (six wins, four losses). With their series 1534 Game 2 loss, the Atlanta Hawks now have a seven-Game 2 losing streak in best-of-7 NBA playoff series.

After Game 1: The Boston Celtics hosted and defeated the Atlanta Hawks 112-pts-99 to take a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1534 lead of 1-game-nil. When leading a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1-game-nil, the Boston Celtics have a series record of 59-8 and a Game 2 record of 42-25. When trailing a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1-game-nil, the Atlanta Hawks have a series record of 1-22 (with an active four-series losing streak) and a Game 2 record of 7-16 (with an active four-Game 2 losing streak). Trailing a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 1-game-nil, the Atlanta Hawks have seen their Game 2 outcome presage their series outcome in their last ten such series (one win, nine losses). Trailing a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 1-game-nil, the Atlanta Hawks achieved their sole series victory (in the wake of 22 losses) in series 1277, over the Washington Wizards in six games in the 2015 NBA Quarterfinals. In series 1534 Game 1, the Boston Celtics scored 45 points in the second quarter, which ties for the second-highest score in the second quarter of a best-of-7 NBA playoff game (the record is 46 points in the second quarter, set in series 136 Game 1 [in the 1960 NBA Finals] by the Celtics over the visiting old St. Louis Hawks in Boston, and tied in series 195 Game 1 [in the 1968 NBA Quarterfinals] by the Celtics over the visiting Detroit Pistons in Boston).

Pre-series assessment: In the 2022-23 NBA regular season, the Boston Celtics finished 16 games ahead of the Atlanta Hawks. From 1947 through the 2022 NBA Finals round, when NBA teams led their best-of-7 playoff series opponents by 16 regular-season games, they have posted a best-of-7 playoff series record of 12-2 (.857) with an active four-series winning streak in those series against those opponents. MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1534 is the 104th best-of-7 NBA playoff series for the Boston Celtics, and the 37th for the Atlanta Hawks. In best-of-7 NBA playoff series, the Boston Celtics have an all-rounds series record of 72-31, a Preliminary-round series record of 11-6, and a Game 1 record of 67-36, while the Atlanta Hawks have an all-rounds series record of 10-26, a Preliminary-round series record of 6-6, and a Game 1 record of 13-23. Series 1534 is the eighth best-of-7 NBA playoff series meeting between the Boston Celtics and the Atlanta Hawks. Boston won the first six best-of-7 NBA series between the two teams, with Atlanta winning the most recent.