It looks like the Celtics will be without backcourt starters Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo for Game 2 against Atlanta tonight. That means Avery Bradley and Mickael Pietrus will likely start.

The Celtics have been a different team since the All-Star Break, going 24-10 (.706) in that span to grab the #4 seed in the playoffs.

Worried that the Celtics can’t win without Rajon? Well, this season the Celtics are 8-5 (.615) without Rondo in the lineup. And 31-22 (.585) with him.

They’re 16-4 (.800) when Ray Allen doesn’t play. And, when Ray and Rondo are both out, they’re 5-1. And while that one loss was in Atlanta, where they play tonight, the Green were also without a couple of guys named Pierce and Garnett. And even though home court advantage was on the line, the Celtics nearly pulled off a shocking shorthanded upset.

So tonight represents just the kind of adversity that this team thrives on. Look for Paul Pierce to dish double digit dimes. Look for Garnett, Bradley, Pietrus and Bass to all shoot better than they did in Game 1 -- that shouldn’t be hard to do as they combined to go 15 for 40 (.375). Look for Josh Smith to come back to Earth. And look for the Celtics to come out on top and steal the home court advantage from the Hawks.