Atlanta Hawks surprise NBA and the city ATLANTA, GA (WABE) - Tonight, the Atlanta Hawks look to take a 3 games to 2 lead on the Boston Celtics in their best of 7 playoff series.

The Hawks' unexpected back-to-back home wins have re-energized local sports fans.

Area residents like Marietta's Dave Sander haven't seen the Hawks in the playoffs since 1999. The mortgage company owner and others inside this Buckhead sports bar had no idea Atlanta would play so well against one of the NBA's best teams.

Monday, the Hawks tied the series at 2 games a piece. And even though Boston is the top seed in the Eastern Conference, Sander says Atlanta's in control.

SANDER: The momentum is definitely on the Hawks side. It's definitely their game. I think it's their series actually to lose the way it's going right now. So, you gotta keep some faith. It'd be great to see it. It really would.

Just like the first two games of the series, tonight's game is in Boston. If games 1 and 2 are any indication, the Hawks will need positive vibes from fans like Sender. Atlanta lost both of those games by at least 19 points. © Copyright 2012, WABE