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. 

Did That Really Just Happen? The Celts Shockingly Choked Away Game 5, 119-117 To The Hawks

 

    From a Celtics perspective, things could not have lined up much better for them to eliminate the Hawks this evening in Game 5 of their first round playoff matchup at TD Garden and move on to a more interesting second round series against the Sixers starting on Saturday. Boston was a 13.5 point favorite and Atlanta's second best player guard Dejounte Murray was suspended for a game after bumping a referee following his team's loss in Game 4. Instead, the C's blew a 13-point lead with 6:10 left to play in the fourth quarter en route to a gross 119-117 loss to the Hawks. Atlanta's star point guard Trae Young (game-high 38 points, 13 assists, 2 steals) had his second great game in a row and he hit an absolute dagger 3-pointer (from 30 feet away!) with 2.1 seconds left in regulation. Now the C's have to go back to Atlanta for Game 6 on Thursday knowing that they should have closed this series out already. 

    If you have paid attention to the Celtics at all this season, losing in this dramatic fashion was completely in character for who they have been in 2022-23. They love blowing huge leads and losing to inferior opponents, there were countless instances of them doing that during the regular season. You hoped that would change in the playoffs but they have lost twice to the Hawks which is a joke. They will win this series eventually but losses like this can take their toll and cast doubt that they will be able to buckle down in a similar situation against better teams down the line. After they both scored 31 points in Sunday's Game 4 win, C's shooting guard Jaylen Brown (team-high 35 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists) showed up in a big way while small forward Jayson Tatum (19 points, 8 rebounds, 8 assists) did not as he went 1-for-10 on 3-pointers. 

    We worry about Boston's rookie head coach Joe Mazzulla inexperience and that was on full display as Atlanta's head coach Quin Snyder coached circles around him. With Murray out, the Hawks were basically a one man team and yet the Celtics could not contain him in crunch time as he scored Atlanta's final 14 points. The Celtics also allowed power forward John Collins (22 points) to finally do something in this series while shooting guard Bogdan Bogdanovic (18 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 blocks) played well and small forward De'Andre Hunter added 13 points while his backup Saddiq Bey notched 12 points off the bench. 

    For Boston, shooting guard Derrick White (18 points, 5 rebounds, 2 blocks) continued his fine play while point guard Marcus Smart (10 points) struggled and yet Muzzalla had him in the whole time while things fell apart late in the fourth quarter and backup point guard Malcolm Brogdon (14 points) sat for the final seven minutes which is a troubling trend that has sadly carried over from the regular season. Center Robert Williams (10 points, 7 rebounds) wasn't nearly the same impact player that he was in Game 4 while center Al Horford (6 rebounds, 5 assists, 5 blocks) is not scoring at all lately (3 points) but he at least is doing other positive things to contribute.

    It should never have come to this since the Celts led by 10 points (92-82) entering the fourth quarter but somehow they could not complete the job on their home court. Atlanta hit seven more 3-pointers (19-12) than Boston, while they added five more second chance points (17-12) along with six more points off turnovers (14-8). The C's started slowly-trailing 30-27 after the first quarter-and the second quarter was the only time that they really asserted their authority (39-28) on the Hawks. The Celtics could not really put Atlanta away in the third quarter (26-24) though setting the stage for an epic playoff choke job. The good news for the Celts is that they still have a great opportunity to get back to the NBA Finals if they can just get their act together. Then again, if they fall short of that, everyone will immediately point back to this terrible loss as a sign that were not not a true title contender this season after all.  

There Is No Other Way To Say It: Right Now, The Celtics Are A Disgrace In Every Possible Fashion

 

    We are still in a global pandemic so I cannot say with a straight face that the trials and tribulations of the Celtics (15-17 overall, 7-12 away) really seems all that important at this juncture. However, this is a Boston sports blog so I'd much rather complain here about our local teams instead of identifying the scary realities of our messed up world. With that said, what the hell has happened to the C's? Tonight, they lost their third straight game, 127-112 to the Hawks (14-18 overall, 8-9 home) at State Farm Arena. To say that Boston was a no-show for the contest would be far too kind. They gave up 72 points in the first half and trailed by as many as 27 points while Atlanta's veteran power forward Danilo Gallinari came off the bench to drill a career-high ten (!!!) 3-pointers as he scored a game-high 38 points. 

    The Hawks finished the season series 2-1 vs. the Celtics and if the playoffs started today, Boston would have to be in the play-in round (two playoff berths for the teams #7-#10 in each conference) since they've dropped to ninth-place in the Eastern Conference. This is the first time that they have been two games under .500 since the start of the 2017-18 season when they lost their first two contests. Since the Celts opened 8-3 in this campaign, they have gone 7-14 in their last 21 games. Is that bad? The team is completely lifeless and nobody besides the fans seems to really care that things have taken such a terrible turn for the worst. 

    I honestly don't know how this will be fixed anytime soon. Their defense is wretched, point guard Kemba Walker can't play back-to-back games (and he is a shell of himself when he does suit up), nobody besides their pair of All-Star swingmen Jaylen Brown (17 points, 5 assists) and Jayson Tatum (13 points on 4-of-20 shooting, 2 steals) can be counted on to do much of anything, the bench is a joke, head coach Brad Stevens' appears to have been tuned out by much of the team, GM Danny Ainge is petrified to shake this up and most of his draft picks lately except for Brown and Tatum have been useless. What else? There is no real accountability on the team and it is sorely lacking in leadership in terms of the players. I really couldn't tell you how a team that has gone to three of the last four Eastern Conference Finals could be in shambles like this. It is stunning to say the least although maybe not when you read the myriad reasons for their struggles that I just listed. 

    Atlanta also entered after playing last night but they weren't fazed by that. Point guard Trae Young (game-high 33 points, 7 assists) boosted his resume in case the All-Star Game needs a replacement player for the East, power forward John Collins had a double-double (14 points, 11 rebounds) while shooting guard Tony Snell added 12 points. Seven Celtics scored in double-digits which is only an indicator that everyone played since there was extended garbage time like you read about. Power forward Tristan Thompson had a double-double (13 points, 13 rebounds) and point guard Jeff Teague (14 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists) made perhaps his final start in the NBA in his old home. Rookie small forward Aaron Nesmith scored 13 points off the bench while point guards Carsen Edwards and Tremont Waters each notched 11 points. 

    Boston has a four-game homestand leading into the All-Star break to try to turn this sinking ship around. They are 8-5 at the Garden as they host the Pacers (15-15 overall, 8-5 road) on Friday (7:30, NBC Sports Boston), the Wizards (11-18 overall, 6-9 road) on Sunday night (7, NBC Sports Boston), the Clippers (23-10 overall, 11-4 road) on Tuesday (7:30, TNT) and closing with the Raptors (16-17 overall, 9-10 road) next Thursday (7, NBC Sports Boston). With the way that the C's have gone down in flames lately, I expect them to go 0-4 in that stretch or maybe 1-3 if they are lucky. Ugh, this terrible team is so depressing these days. How has it come to this? 

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.