NBA Playoffs 2011 First Round: Eastern Conference Matchups (Part 2)
Boston Celtics vs. New York Knicks
The Atlantic Division Champions, Boston Celtics, will host the New York Knicks in the first round of the playoffs on Saturday, 16th April, 2011.
At the end of the regular season of the National Basketball Association (NBA), Boston finished in third spot in the Eastern Conference standings, while New York ended up in sixth place.
The Celtics, the 2008 title winners, finished the season with a 56-26 record. They closed out the regular season on a high note, snapping their two-game losing streak with a 112-102 victory over the Knicks at the TD Garden.
New York finished the season at 42-40 but they lost their last two regular season games.
The defending Eastern Conference champions are in a strong position as they have won all of their four games against the Knicks this season.
However, the Knicks’ fans got some very good news, when forward-centre Amar'e Stoudemire rejoined the squad in their last game of the current season. He was back after missing three games with a minor knee and ankle injury. In 20 minutes on the court, Stoudemire
contributed 14 points and four rebounds in the defeat.
New York coach Mike D'Antoni, was pleased with Stoudemire's return to action. D'Antoni told reporters, "I am really glad we got him twenty minutes that worked out, I was holding my breath the whole time, but it was good. He said he felt well, and it's a
good start."
Stoudemire’s return to the line-up will definitely strengthen the Knicks squad in the playoffs.
Orlando Magic vs. Atlanta Hawks
The Orlando Magic, who are seeded fourth in the Eastern Conference, will take on the Atlanta Hawks at home on Saturday night.
Orlando finished the season with a 52-30 record, and won their last two regular season games. Meanwhile, the Hawks closed the season at 44-38, and go into the post-season on the back of a six-game losing streak.
Atlanta head coach Larry Drew was not pleased with his side's losing-streak. He said, “I was hoping that it wouldn't end like this. It was one of my concerns after we locked up the fifth spot. I was hoping I could pull it out of our guys to continue to play
hard and really compete."
Drew added, "I was hoping our guys would play at a higher level, but they didn't respond to that. Now, it's time to flip the switch and I'm pretty confident that they will do that."
The Magic have dominated the Hawks during the regular season with an impressive 8-1 record against them. Additionally, Orlando have home-court advantage, where their record was quite impressive during the season at 29-12.
The Hawks, on the other hand, have to work hard as they were sloppy on the road during the season with 21 defeats and 20 victories.
Tags: