Two Needless Games Later, The Celtics Knocked Out The Hawks 128-120 To Win The Series 4-2

 

    They made it way too hard on themselves-even in the Game 6 clincher-but let the record show that the Celtics finally got the job done with a 128-120 victory tonight against the Hawks at State Farm Arena. Boston won the series 4-2 and advances to the second round to face Philadelphia which will start on Monday (7:30, TNT) at TD Garden. Just like in Game 4's win there, the Celts dynamic duo of shooting guard Jaylen Brown (game-high 32 points, 5 rebounds) and small forward Jayson Tatum (30 points, 14 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 blocks) both reached 30+ points. This one was too close for comfort most of the way as Atlanta led by two points (100-98) going into the fourth quarter but thankfully, the C's played their best frame in the fourth (30-20) to get this over with and avoid a Game 7 on Saturday back at the Garden.

    We all believe in Boston's depth and if they make another real run this postseason, that should be a key to their success. Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla played nine guys this evening and they all scored. Besides the Jays, point guard Marcus Smart (22 points) and center Al Horford (10 points, 12 rebounds, 3 blocks, 2 steals) were both very solid while backup point guard Malcolm Brogdon tied his series-high with 17 points off the bench. Shooting guard Derrick White (7 points) and center Robert Williams (4 points, 6 rebounds, 3 blocks, 2 steals) both had their worst games of the series but that was overshadowed by the rest of the supporting cast aka "The Others" (thanks Shaq!) stepping up for them. 

    It was another high scoring game from the start as Boston led 35-34 after the first quarter and by one point at halftime (68-67). The Hawks star point guard Trae Young (30 points, 10 assists) was on fire to begin the contest with 25 points in the first half alone but the Celts locked him down in the second half as he finished 9-for-28 from the field. Small forward De'Andre Hunter (20 points, 6 rebounds), point forward John Collins (16 points, 2 blocks), shooting guard Dejounte Murray (14 points, 11 assists, 7 rebounds) and center Clint Capela (10 points, 10 rebounds) all scored in double figures but it was not enough to extend the series any further. Shooting guard Bogdan Bogdanovic (12 points) and power forward Onyeka Ogkongwu (11 rebounds, 2 blocks) were both good off Atlanta's bench in limited minutes. 

    Boston shot four percent better from the floor (50%-46%), they hit three more 3-pointers (18-15), they made two more steals (7-5), had three more blocks (10-7) and three less turnovers (10-7) than Atlanta. The Celtics scored four more points in the paint (54-50) and a whopping 14 more fast break points (18-4) than the Hawks. Rest ahead of the next series is what Boston cost themselves by losing not once but twice to Atlanta. As such, Games 1-4 (along with a possible Game 5 and Game 6) are all two days apart for the Celts and Sixers. This is the third time since 2018 that Boston has met Philadelphia in the postseason and we should feel confident since the C's won the other two times. They also went 3-1 against Philly during the regular season with the Sixers' lone win coming when the Celtics sat many key players. It should be fun with former Celtics head coach Doc Rivers now in charge of the Sixers and Philadelphia is certainly much more a sports city and fan base than Atlanta. Get some rest and be ready to roll on Monday for what should be a much more intriguing playoff series. 

C's Take Rd. 2 vs. Hawks Thanks To Kemba Walker (Season-High 28 Pts) Turning Back The Clock

 

    At this point in his NBA career, it's hard to know what exactly Celtics (15-14 overall, 8-5 home) point guard Kemba Walker (team-high 28 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds, 3 steals) is going to have in a given game. That's why nights like tonight are such a tease as Boston beat Atlanta 121-109 at TD Garden, a bit of payback after the Hawks won here on Wednesday and dropped the home team to the .500 mark. This was the fourth time this season that the C's have played a two-game set against the same opponent and they are 1-1 in three of them (losing Game 1 all four times) and 0-2 in one (falling twice in Philly to the best team in the East). All five Celtics starters scored at least 14 points in the victory while they led by as much as 25 points before hanging on as the Hawks cut it to a nine-point deficit in the fourth quarter. 

    Last night, Celtics swingman Jayson Tatum (25 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 blocks) and shooting guard Jaylen Brown (17 points, 6 assists) were not named starters (no surprise there) for the Eastern Conference in the All-Star Game but they are both expected to be named reserves on the team. This is a big deal since Tatum made his first All-Star team last season and it would be Brown's first of his career-ironically in his hometown of Atlanta. For once, all of Boston's big guys played well in the same contest: power forward Tristian Thompson had 17 points and five rebounds, center Daniel Theis added 14 points, eight rebounds and three blocks while Robert Williams was great off the bench with 12 points, seven rebounds, four blocks and two steals in only 16 minutes of action. For Atlanta, point guard Trae Young (game-high 31 points, 11 assists, 3 steals) and center Clint Capela (24 points, 15 rebounds) were both very good yet again but the difference this time is that the Celtics managed hold down Atlanta's others. Nobody else on the Hawks scored in double-figures and power forward John Collins (8 points on 3-of-13 shooting) was a non-factor after he had 20 points two nights earlier. 

    The C's were ready to go right from the opening tip (what a concept!) and that showed in a strong first quarter (33-22) and an even better second quarter which gave them an insurmountable 66-41 halftime lead. Each team scored 32 points apiece in the third quarter and then Atlanta finally woke up a bit in the fourth quarter but it was thankfully too late to make a real difference. Boston shot 13.4% better from the field (55.6%-42.2%) than the Hawks, they hit four more 3-pointers (14-10), pulled down seven more defensive rebounds (35-28), blocked twice as many shots (12-6), they scored 14 more points in the paint (66-52) and twice as many fast break points (12-6). 

    The Celtics now depart on a three-game road trip that on paper at least doesn't look that difficult: they are in New Orleans (12-17 overall, 7-7 home) on Sunday afternoon (3:30, ABC) to take on Zion Williamson and the Pelicans in a nationally televised matchup, weather-permitting they go to Dallas (13-15 overall, 6-8 home) on Tuesday (7:30, NBC Sports Boston) for their first look at Luka Doncic and the Mavericks this season and they wrap things up in Atlanta the next night (7:30, NBC Sports Boston). Who's drunken idea in the NBA league office was it to have the Celtics and Hawks face each other three times in a week in the regular season (these aren't make-up dates for postponed games)? None of those three clubs are over .500 and zero are currently playoff teams so the Celts need to go at least 2-1 on this trip. A mark of a good team in any sport is that they take care of business against the bad teams. They will see some of the league's brightest young talents but make no mistake, Boston should beat all of their mediocre at best teams.

    

    

    

Another Guy Drops A 40-Piece On The Celts At TD Garden & This Time They Lose To Fall Back To .500

 

    Well so much for last night's win against the Nuggets (15-13) meaning anything as the Celtics (14-14 overall, 7-5 home) followed that up with a frustrating 122-114 loss at TD Garden this evening vs. the Hawks (12-16 overall, 6-7 away). Guards Kemba Walker (left knee injury management) and Marcus Smart (left calf tear) along with center Daniel Theis (right index finger sprain) all missed the game for Boston but even if they had played, Atlanta's big three of point guard Trae Young (game-high 40 points, 8 assists, 2 steals), center Clint Capela (24 points, 13 rebounds) and power forward John Collins (20 points, 6 rebounds) are better than anyone that the C's could pair with swingman Jayson Tatum (team-high 34 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals) and shooting guard Jaylen Brown (22 points, 7 assists). This contest served as yet another reminder that the 2020-21 Celtics are full of potential but also wildly inconsistent and unable to sustain anything positive for too long. 

    Atlanta torched Boston's invisible defense, shooting 57.1% from the field and outscoring them by 14 points in the paint (60-46). Like the 7-9 Patriots of last season (sorry to bring them up!), it's hard to pinpoint only a few of the many major issues facing the C's because they have a ton of them already less than halfway through this campaign. For instance, their lack of depth is quite scary since head coach Brad Stevens felt the need to start both Semi Ojeleye (9 points, 2 steals) and Javonte Green (9 points, 2 steals). Curiously, rookie guard Aaron Nesmith (2 points in 21 minutes) was the first Celtic to come off the bench in this mess. Is GM Danny Ainge showcasing his higher first-round pick that thus far has been completely overmatched in his brief stay here? 

    Fittingly, Boston's best quarter was the first as they outscored Atlanta 35-33 but then it was all downhill from there. The Hawks took a six-point lead (62-56) into halftime and they were up by nine points (90-81) heading into the fourth quarter. Power forward Tristan Thompson (14 points, 7 rebounds, 3 steals) was alright (trade bait?) and rookie guard Payton Pritchard (11 points) continues to bring a spark off the bench for the Celts. Swingman Cam Reddish added 13 points, six rebounds and two steals in the win for Atlanta. These same two teams are set to meet again on Friday (7:30, NBC Sports Boston) at the Garden. Kemba will be back for the Celtics and possibly Theis as well. Needless to say, Boston really cannot afford to get swept on their home floor by a club that came in three games behind them in the Eastern Conference standings.