They're the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, and there's a target on the back of their jerseys whenever they step onto the court, even if they're now overlooked in the race to represent the NBA's weaker half. While trying to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals—something that not even Dominique Wilkins could do—they've met one obstacle after another.
But now, what they collectively have to realize, despite the complete dearth of experience in the last few rounds of the playoffs, is that every team has to clear hurdles en route to the Larry O'Brien Trophy.
Injuries are a fact of life during the NBA's second season, as the Washington Wizards can attest to, having lost star point guard John Wall for Game 2 of their series with the Hawks.