Celtics to play Atlanta Hawks in first round of 2023 NBA Playoffs

The Celtics and Hawks will tip off in Game 1 at TD Garden on Saturday afternoon at 3:30 p.m.

The Celtics were 3-0 against the Hawks during the regular season. Alex Slitz / AP Photo

April 11, 2023

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The Celtics’ first-round opponent is now set.

Boston will battle the Hawks in the opening series of the 2023 NBA Playoffs, with Atlanta punching its ticket to the postseason after upsetting the Miami Heat in the Play-In Tournament on Tuesday night.

Game 1 will tip off at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 15 at TD Garden. The full schedule for the best-of-seven series will be released by the NBA on Wednesday.

Boston and Atlanta met three times during the regular season, with the Celtics posting a 3-0 record against Trae Young, Dejounte Murray, and a high-scoring (118.4 PPG) Hawks squad.

It’s a fortunate break for the Celtics, as Boston was 2-2 in head-to-head matchups with the Heat this season and can avoid a rematch of last year’s Eastern Conference Finals.

Atlanta has the means to pile up points in a hurry, but Boston has feasted down the other end of the court against them this season. In the Celtics’ three wins over Atlanta, they averaged 126.6 points per game.

Boston is set to enter the postseason with its full roster of starters. Jaylen Brown is expected to return later this week and is not projected to have any restrictions despite cutting his hand on broken glass while watering his plants. The Celtics’ star needed five stitches to treat the wound.

“Obviously, when we’re fully healthy, it’s a little bit different,” Joe Mazzulla said. “But at the end of the day, one of the things this roster was built on is depth and the ability to play different ways. And so we all have to be prepared to play a role in a series. It can be long and all those guys have been ready to play a role.”