Good morning! I hope everyone got a good night's sleep and is ready to come to Philips tonight and lose your voice yelling at Kevin Garnett and the visiting Celtics. It's a big day around these parts, with lots of good stuff going on before, during, and after tonight's game. For example:

BEFORE: Tonight's game, if you didn't know already, is being broadcast nationally by ESPN (and I'm totally not bitter it's our only national TV game - not at all), which means all the bells and whistles that go along with being covered by the World Wide Leader. The ESPN NBA Caravan (as seen in hilarious commercials like this one) will be in town today, hanging out outside the Philips Arena box office from 3 pm until after the game tonight.

Definitely check that out if you can get down to the arena early, there is lots of fun and games associated with it.

DURING: Well, there is the game, obviously. That should be reason enough. But if you are greedy and want more, then don't forget that Ludacris will be performing at halftime. Luda!

AFTER: Don't forget Taco Mac has opened at the Arena, and after the Hawks win tonight you should definitely go there afterwards to celebrate and participate in the Hawks postgame show on 790 the Zone.

Got it? Good. Now let's get down to business - after all, there is a game to be played tonight. I've said it many times before, but one of the many things I love about sports is the natural drama that takes place. Unlike the manufactured crap you see on "Reality" TV shows or in movies, nothing about sports is fake. The passions are real. The hatred is real. Rivalries develop of their own volition, not because people want them to be so.

That is what makes tonight's game so interesting - there are legitimate feelings of dislike between these two teams (and I mean that in a good way), and they manifest themselves in the way these teams do battle with each other. The intensity level of those playoff games last season is something I won't soon forget, and I expect tonight's action to have a very similar feel. Make no mistake, it will be a playoff atmosphere at Philips tonight, and the players know it. They said it themselves - here is Marvin Williams from a story by Sekou Smith in today's AJC:

“It might be impossible not to get too hyped up for this game. We played them as well as we ever played them in Boston earlier this year. Now we come back here. They’re playing well and we’re playing well at home. Something’s got to give.”

There are several other good quotes in there from both sides, I recommend reading the whole thing.

I'll be back later with today's Breaking Down The Celtics segment and more.

Feel free to let us know how you're feeling about tonight in the comments.