Orlando Magic vs Atlanta Hawks
8:00 PM ET, April 22, 2011
Philips Arena, Atlanta, GA
ATLANTA (AP) -- Al Horford still remembers the thrilling atmosphere when the Hawks were at home during the 2008 playoffs.
The team was a huge underdog against the top-seeded Boston Celtics but took the series to the max by winning all three games in Atlanta -- spurred on by raucous sellout crowds that caught everyone off guard with their intensity.
"Electric," said Horford, the Hawks' All-Star forward. "I've played in big college games. They were like a college crowd. It was such a rush being here. That year, I think the Celtics were a little taken aback and surprised by that."
This season, the home court has seemed more like a disadvantage to the Hawks. They had just 24 wins at Philips Arena, playing before thousands of empty seats most nights. More troubling, there were plenty of blowouts among the 17 losses -- more, in fact, than any team with a winning record in NBA history.
"That's crazy, ain't it?" forward Marvin Williams said. "In the past, we've played really well at home and struggled at times at home. Well, we've become a better road team, a much better road team, but at home it's just been up and down this year."
The team was a huge underdog against the top-seeded Boston Celtics but took the series to the max by winning all three games in Atlanta -- spurred on by raucous sellout crowds that caught everyone off guard with their intensity.
"Electric," said Horford, the Hawks' All-Star forward. "I've played in big college games. They were like a college crowd. It was such a rush being here. That year, I think the Celtics were a little taken aback and surprised by that."
This season, the home court has seemed more like a disadvantage to the Hawks. They had just 24 wins at Philips Arena, playing before thousands of empty seats most nights. More troubling, there were plenty of blowouts among the 17 losses -- more, in fact, than any team with a winning record in NBA history.
"That's crazy, ain't it?" forward Marvin Williams said. "In the past, we've played really well at home and struggled at times at home. Well, we've become a better road team, a much better road team, but at home it's just been up and down this year."
Watch Orlando Magic vs Atlanta Hawks Live Streaming Online Free April 22, 2011 NBA
