Atlanta Hawks: Must Watch Games In 2016-17

Atlanta Hawks/Boston Celtics

Number of meetings: 3

Dates: January 13 (home), February 27 (away), April 6 (home)

The Atlanta Hawks and Boston Celtics have been a rivalry in the NBA for decades now, but after what took place this summer with Al Horford leaving the the Hawks for the Celtics, the hate is stronger than ever.

Last season, the Hawks controlled the regular season series between the two teams by winning three out of the four match-ups. Their success carried over into the playoffs, as they eliminated the Celtics in the first-round of the playoffs by winning the series 4-2.

After Horford officially departed from Atlanta, his father Tito was not quiet about letting the public know why his son chose Boston:

"“There wasn’t as much motivation for him when he saw all the empty seats when they were winning,” Tito Horford said. “He said to me, ‘Dad, when we were playing Boston, they were down 15 points and they were cheering their team like they were winning the game. They’re so into the game.’ This is special for us, especially for him.”"

You better believe those stands will be packed when Horford makes his return to Atlanta on Jan. 13. Rightfully so, the game will be broadcasted on ESPN at 8 pm ET. Even if you’re not a Hawks fan, watching a player return to his former arena is always a fun game to watch.

It’ll be interesting to see if Horford is rained with infinite boo’s from the crowd. After all, he was a cornerstone player for the franchise for nine years and helped lead them to nine-straight playoff appearances.

Next: A Chance At Redemption