ATLANTA — A year ago, the Cleveland Cavaliers watched enviously as LeBron James made another run to the N.B.A. finals with Miami. The Atlanta Hawks were trying to move on from a tough loss in the opening round of the playoffs.
Boy, how things have changed in the Eastern Conference.
James returned to the Cavaliers over the summer, turning them into title contenders. The Hawks pulled off a remarkable turnaround in Mike Budenholzer’s second season as their coach, winning 60 games to claim the top seed in the East.
On Wednesday night, the teams will meet here in Game 1 of the conference finals.