At 5:30 p.m. ET the Eastern Conference playoffs continue with Game 1 of the top-seeded Atlanta Hawks' series against the Brooklyn Nets on TNT, which can be live streamed free by clicking this link. Hawks fans can tune in to the radio broadcast on Sports 92.9 Atlanta, while Nets fans may do likewise on 101.9 WFAN FM.
While Atlanta's record would indicate a major advantage over the Nets, they haven't played extremely well down the stretch of the regular season, and they'll be without one of their top wing defenders, Thabo Sefolosha, due to an off-court incident that involved the NYPD and a broken leg. Veteran center Al Horford said their glossy record means absolutely nothing in the postseason.
"We understand that seeds don't really matter once you get in the playoffs," Hawks center Al Horford said. "We were the perfect example of that last year. We pushed Indiana to the limit. We understand we need to come out with a sense of urgency."
Indeed, last year the Hawks were the scrappy bottom seed shocking the world by pushing a No. 1 seed. This season, the Nets have seen a resurgence from center Brook Lopez that gives them hope. He's averaged 20 points and nine rebounds over the final two months of regular season play, and even though Horford is a premier post defender, Lopez's size creates headaches for any defense.
The key for Brooklyn to pull off an upset will be the version of point guard Deron Williams that arrives in Atlanta. At times he has shown flashes of the player who warranted a max contract from the new Nets ownership. At other points, he's been a replacement-level player with little impact on games. If All-Star Williams is on the court, the Nets could be legitimate threats to shock the world.
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