"After Thursday's practice, Kevin Garnett was asked if he considers Atlanta a rival. The Celtics forward responded, "Not at all."

That comment didn't surprise Al Horford, though the Hawks forward believes the C's knew they'd have a battle on their hands when the teams faced off last night.

"I'm sure they feel that way, but I know that when they go out on the court, they're on edge," Horford said after yesterday morning's shootaround. "And they know what time it is because we're going to bring our game."

That they did, beating the Celtics, 97-86, at the Garden.

The Hawks had earned some respect when they forced the Celtics to seven games in the first round of the 2008 playoffs. The C's advanced and went on to win the championship, but the series resonated. There were a number of chippy moments, from Garnett going nose-to-nose with Zaza Pachulia to KG's series-punctuating throat slash late in Game 7.

Horford was also in the middle of a number of dust-ups during the series. After making a crucial shot late in the Hawks' Game 3 win, Horford jawed with Paul Pierce. The Celtics captain responded with an infamous "menacing" hand gesture that drew a $25,000 fine from the league."