Monday night in the "Peach State," the Atlanta Hawks handed the Boston Celtics a 112-102 defeat. It's a measure of revenge after the visitors beat them 109-102 a few days earlier at TD Garden. One can make light of the loss, citing the C's playing on the second half of a back-to-back and their third game in four days. Furthermore, they didn't have Jayson Tatum or Neemias Queta in the lineup. However, it's Atlanta's 18th win in their last 20 contests. In other words, they are to be taken seriously.
The Hawks, one of the hottest teams in the NBA right now, have surged into sixth in the Eastern Conference standings. They are just one game behind the fifth-seeded Toronto Raptors in the loss column. The Cleveland Cavaliers have a 4.5-game cushion, so they shouldn't have to worry about staving off Atlanta.
However, rather than looking too far in front of them, the Hawks, who caught fire after trading Trae Young, are just 1.5 games ahead of the Philadelphia 76ers. The Sixers currently occupy the seventh seed in the East. If those two swap places entering the postseason, Atlanta will fall into the play-in tournament.
However, no matter where the Hawks end up, Lou Williams is confident in the capabilities of a group that has found its identity. It's a combination of selfless offense and disruptive, swarming defense that could lead to Atlanta upsetting a higher seed in the playoffs.
Lou Williams's warning to the Celtics
In a recent edition of Run It Back on Fanduel TV, a day after the Hawks' victory vs. the Celtics, the three-time Sixth Man of the Year recipient delivered the following message about his former team's success and their ability to upset Boston in a potential best-of-seven series.
The Hawks are a lock to make the playoffs 🔒
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) March 31, 2026
Lou Williams thinks Atlanta could knock out the Boston Celtics 👀
"They're gonna be a hard out for whoever unfortunately matches up with them in round 1." - @ChandlerParsons @MichelleDBeadle | @boogiecousins | @TeamLou23 pic.twitter.com/IuVHkDHf6b
"I think they're gonna be a disruptive playoff team. Whoever they get in that third place, it's not gonna be a walk in the park," said Williams. "Let's let that mess around and be the Boston Celtics...I like my chances, I like the matchup. So, if I'm the Atlanta Hawks, I've got extreme confidence, whether it's six or whether it's seven, as long as I get an opportunity to get in, I'm gonna be disruptive no matter what."
"The way they're playing right now, I don't care the remaining schedule, and if I'm them, I don't care who we draw first round," said co-host Chandler Parsons. "They're gonna be a hard, hard out [for] whoever unfortunately matches up with them in that first round."
At the moment, that would be the New York Knicks. However, the race between the Celtics and Knicks is close enough that the two could swap positions in the standings entering the playoffs. If they do, Boston must put stock in Williams's message. The Hawks split the regular-season series with them, earning wins at home and on the TD Garden parquet.