Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo doesn't believe that the Hawks are one of the team's rivals.
"I don't think much of it really," Rondo said of a possible rivalry. "I don't like to talk trash, but in my eyes it's not a rivalry. I don't know if anybody else looks at it as a rivalry. People consider Cleveland a rival. We just went seven with Atlanta. That's about it."
The Hawks, who will battle the Celtics on Friday night, tend to disagree.
"That it's Boston is always a big deal because they're still the champs," said forward Josh Smith. "They get that from everybody until someone wins the title this year.
"But it's even more important for us because we've got to get our swagger back here at home. We need to keep that magic flowing here and not let that slip away."