Atlanta @ Boston preview

Last Meeting ( Feb 2, 2018 ) Atlanta 110, Boston 119

The Boston Celtics will continue their playoff preparation with a limited roster when they host the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday afternoon. The Celtics will open the postseason as the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference against Miami, Milwaukee or Washington, and they already know they will be operating without several key players.

With starters Al Horford and Jayson Tatum sitting Friday night, Boston rode the second career triple-double by center Greg Monroe to a 111-104 win over the Chicago Bulls to surpass last season's win total. "Guys were resting, guys are hurt," Monroe told reporters. "I guess (the offense) was running through me by default, I guess. But it was just about moving the ball." The Celtics were playing their first game since learning that All-Star guard Kyrie Irving would miss all of the postseason and the team responded by shooting 55.6 percent from the floor. The Hawks have nearly clinched the worst record in the East but they knocked off another playoff team - the Washington Wizards - on the road Friday night.

TV: 1 p.m. ET, FS Southeast (Atlanta), NBCS Boston

ABOUT THE HAWKS (23-57): Rookie Tyler Dorsey is making the most of his opportunities down the stretch and produced a personal-best 22 points in the 103-97 victory over the Wizards. "They made a little run in the fourth and we just battled back," Dorsey told reporters. "And we just made big shots. Timely passes, timely shots.and we finished the game strong with big plays." The Oregon product is averaging 18.5 points in April while making 12-of-24 3-pointers.

ABOUT THE CELTICS (54-25): Boston will lean heavily on Jaylen Brown in the postseason and the second-year pro collected a career-high 32 points in the win over the Bulls. "No Al, no J.T. tonight. Coach told me to be aggressive," Brown told the media. "So just coming out and playing basketball and trying to be aggressive. Going into the playoffs, this group we have now is all we've got." The Celtics did get point guard Shane Larkin (illness) back from a two-game layoff and he produced six assists off the bench.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. The Celtics were 7-of-17 from the foul line against Chicago after going 25-of-28 at Toronto two nights earlier.

2. Hawks SF Taurean Prince scored at least 20 points in nine of his last 14 games to raise his season average to 13.7.

3. Boston took the first three meetings this season, including a 119-110 triumph in the lone encounter at TD Garden.

PREDICTION: Celtics 106, Hawks 98