The first round of the 2008 NBA playoffs finally ground to a halt yesterday, as the Boston Celtics dispatched the upstart Atlanta Hawks in a 99-65 thumping at the TD Banknorth Garden Sunday afternoon.  In a rematch of an epic seven game series twenty years ago, this series had all the tenacity, all the luminaries, but was absolutely devoid of the drama that was in the 1988 Game 7 contest, held at the historic Boston Garden on the famed parquet.

In that game, it was a game of one upping the other, as Larry Bird and Dominique Wilkins seemed to score at will.  Bird put up 34 points for the Celtics, 20 of those coming in the final quarter to propel the Celtics to a stirring 118-116 win over Wilkins and the Hawks.  Wilkins was spectacular in defeat, pouring in 47 points of his own.  The teams shot a blistering 59 percent from the floor and there were just 15 turnovers in that entire contest.  Kevin McHale had a monster game of his own, with 33 points, 13 boards, and four blocks.  Glenn "Doc" Rivers, now the Celtics bench boss, was the point guard for the Hawks in 1988.  He had 16 points and 18 assists in game seven, not to mention 22 assists in game four of that series. 



That game is best known for Bird and Wilkins and even more so for a series of six possessions in that frenetic fourth quarter, where Bird and Wilkins alternated baskets in a who will blink first sort of environment.  Sunday's game was devoid of any sort of that excitement. 

The Hawks were flat out of the gate, falling behind by 11 after one quarter, and then only scoring 10 points in the second, to go down by 18.  That lead ballooned in the third quarter, to the point where the Hawks were trailing by nearly as many points (36) as they had scored after three quarters (43).  They did manage to outscore Boston in the fourth by a bucket to only lose by 34. 

The Celtics won 66 games in the regular season, posting the top record in the NBA.  The Hawks struggled, as young teams usually do, going 37-45 on the season, though qualifying for the playoffs for the first time since the 1998-99 season.  After Boston won the first two games at home, it seemed the Hawks were going to get blown away.  However, the Hawks rallied, winning games three and four in Atlanta.  Boston won game five convincingly at home, but fell by three points in Atlanta in game six, bolstering the confidence of the young Hawks, and making the Celtic faithful wonder if the luck of the Irish had abandoned them.

Kevin Garnett scored 18 points and pulled down 11 rebounds, and Paul Pierce had 22 points and eight boards for the Celtics.  The Hawks were led by star shooting guard Joe Johnson with 16, though he was harassed into a 5 for 17 clank fest from the field.  Al Horford had 12 rebounds to go with his eight points.  The Hawks were held to the second fewest game seven point total (65) and the third lowest field goal percentage (29.3 percent) in the defeat.

So what now for the Celtics?  A second round matchup with LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.  Will the mystique of the Celtics carry them to an expected Eastern Conference Finals battle with the Detroit Pistons, or will King James and his court derail the hopes and dreams of Boston fans again?  One quick fact:  no team that went seven games in the first round of the playoffs since the playoffs were expanded has gone on to win the NBA title.