6-0 Hawks eager for shot at Celtics

Chicago —- While the Hawks’ eye-opening 6-0 start has stretched from Orlando to Atlanta to New Orleans to Oklahoma City and now through Chicago, its roots remain in Boston.

That’s where the Hawks’ rise from nearly a decade’s worth of NBA ashes began last spring. That’s where the seeds of a franchise renaissance were planted during a scintillating first-round playoff series.

And that’s why the Hawks are eager to get back on the floor at TD Banknorth Garden tonight. They didn’t come close to beating the Celtics on that floor in four tries during the series, which went seven games.

“That series is where this confidence began,” Hawks captain and All-Star Joe Johnson said. “That series has done so much, starting with the confidence, but also because we were humbled in the end, it let us know we can play with the best.

“That’s why we have this chip on our shoulder right now. It’s made us come out aggressive this year from the start.”

Former Hawks coach and current NBA analyst for TNT Mike Fratello isn’t surprised to see the Hawks all grown up.

“Obviously, they’ve gotten off to the start everybody dreams about,” Fratello said Tuesday. “And every game you put in the bank now counts at the end. And there seems to be a settling in with Atlanta —- the total picture seems to be more settled.

“They played that seven-game series against the eventual world champions. Guys go home and think about it in the offseason and say, ‘This is fun. This is what it’s supposed to be about. Let’s come back with that same type of commitment.’ That’s the case with Atlanta, and I think you see the results of that now.”

Hawks coach Mike Woodson hasn’t tried to calm his preoccupation with the Celtics this year. But it’s not for the reasons you might think.

Woodson has long since moved on about the Hawks’ impressive showing against the Celtics. In fact, he has always been more focused on what the Celtics did after they defeated the Hawks in that series.

“I just think about how they were able to get it done from beginning to end,” Woodson said. “They had three guys, and still have those three guys in Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, those three great players that carried them.

“But make no mistake about it, their defense is what won that title. They refused to give in from a defensive standpoint, and I’m talking about every single step of the way. People that don’t understand that aren’t really examining that team and what they did the way they should.”

The Hawks know they are linked with the Celtics and that title run for the foreseeable future. Spice can be added to the budding rivalry with every meeting —- starting tonight.

There is more pressing business to attend to for these two teams.

“I’d just like to win one game up there,” said Hawks center Zaza Pachulia, whose nose-to-nose staredown of Garnett in Game 4 made him a fan favorite for life in Atlanta and an eternal villain in Boston. “They’re a great team. But we came so close in that series. If we could have just pulled one game out on their floor, we’d have shocked the world.”

The Hawks haven’t won in Boston since Jan. 24, 2007, losing seven straight.

“They did it the way everybody would love to,” said Marvin Williams, who was ejected for a flagrant foul on Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo in the Game 7 loss. “They took care of home and did it with their fans pushing them along the entire way.”

And don’t think the Hawks haven’t noticed the defending champions’ start this season. The Celtics are 7-1 and a perfect 4-0 at home.

“They are definitely a team you keep an eye on because they won it and we came so close to knocking them off,” Johnson said. “They’re the top dog right now, so you have to respect them. But it’s a new season. That series is behind us. It’s a new season and time to move forward with what we’re trying to do now and in the future.”

NEXT FOR HAWKS

> Who: at Celtics

> When: 7:30 p.m. today

> TV; radio: SPSO; 790 AM