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All the “A-listers” came out on Wednesday night in the big-A.

The Boston Celtics were in town and they were  hoping to witness the hometown Hawks put a stop to Boston’s 15-game winning streak.

No one could forget what happened last time these Celtics were in town. The Hawks won three straight to even up the first-round playoff series last season. It was improbable. It was unpredictable, and it got Atlanta excited about their Hawks again.

The Hawks failed to stop the streaking Celtics, but not before making a game of it. For the second time this season, the fifth-youngest team in the NBA took Boston to the wire. And for the second time this season the Celtics stopped them cold.

That is what championship teams do.

But these close games have people talking rivalry. At least people in Atlanta are talking rivalry.

As Kevin Garnett put it Wednesday night, “You have to win some games for it to be a rivalry.”

While he may be right, it doesn’t stop Atlanta from playing like it is.

Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo pointed out that if they played every game way they play the Celtics, “they’d be a top-five team in the league.” “Just like us,” is what Rondo implied, but didn’t say. The Celtics are playing as well as ever and look to make a run at a second title in May and June.

This Atlanta team is, however, the fourth-best team in the Eastern Conference. It’s losses like Wednesday night’s that help young teams grow and provide confidence.

The Hawks clearly play with confidence, showing a tenacity on defense, that was missing most of last season, and featuring the kind of clutch play from its star Joe Johnson and point guard Mike Bibby that lead most to believe this team is primed for a playoff run of its own.

They may meet the Celtics again. And you can bet they’ll remember the lessons they’ve been learning from Boston and perhaps this talk of rivalry can earn some validity.

For a more in-depth look at the Atlanta-Boston series, check this out

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