Wizards and Celtics to renew hostilities, and this time it counts

The Washington Wizards and Boston Celtics do not like each other - this much we know. The animosity was manifested at the end of their Jan. 11 meeting, when Jae Crowder squared off with John Wall. Two weeks after that Celtics win, the Wizards responded by wearing all black to the rematch. Washington won that game 123-108.

The added bonus of hostility aside, this Eastern Conference semifinal series should be a good one, with a backcourt battle as its centerpiece.

(Teams tied season series 2-2)

John Wall and Bradley Beal combined for 73 points in Washington's Game 6 clincher over Atlanta. Avery Bradley will have his hands full with one of them, and Isaiah Thomas will be forced to check Wall more than he should, because there's really nowhere to hide him. Given that, expect to see more rotations with Crowder and Marcus Smart guarding the Wiz backcourt.

Thomas also needs to get back on track offensively. He specifically struggled with his 3-point shot in the Bulls series, going 9-for-45 from beyond the arc. It's worth noting, however, that the Wizards limited him to just 27.3 percent from deep in the teams' four meetings this season. Thomas will also be flying in from his sister's funeral before Game 1.

Up front, Al Horford has been solid as a playmaker, and, in post-up scenarios, matches up well with both Marcin Gortat and Markieff Morris.

It's been a while

Despite the bad blood, these teams don't have much playoff history. Their last postseason meeting came in 1984, when the Celtics took out the then-Bullets in the first round.

Game 1 of this series tips Sunday afternoon.