Less than 20 minutes till tip-off, and the Hawks just came out onto the court. The Celtics are on their way out as I speak, and you can't believe how loud it is in here. If you don't think this kind of atmosphere can make a difference for a team, you are crazy.We have got to get Philips Arena rocking like this for Games 3 and 4, no matter the series score.
I'm not going to lie, I've got a pretty good seat tonight - I'm directly behind the basket adjacent to the Celtics bench, so I'll have a pretty solid vantage point for tonight's live blog.
I've heard it said several times over the past few days, and I completely agree that one big key to tonight's game will be for the Hawks to weather the first storm. With this kind of crowd, the Celtics are going to be pumped up to put it on the Hawks early. Even if Boston does come out of the gate smoking, if the Hawks can keep their composure, they can make this a game. I'm going to look to Mike Bibby, Joe Johnson, and Al Horford to help keep the team's emotions in check.
Playoffs baby - playoffs!
