The Atlanta Hawks got another tight victory over the Boston Celtics, winning 119-115 in overtime. Trae Young led the way with 28 points and 11 assists. Jaylen Brown led Boston with 24 points. The Celtics played without Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford, while the Hawks missed Larry Nance Jr., Zaccharie Risacher, and Cody Zeller. Atlanta improved to 22-19 and the Boston Celtics fell to 29-13.
A Back and Forth First Half
The Boston Celtics blew out the Hawks in their first meeting, but Atlanta beat them later during the NBA Cup. This third matchup got off to a fast start. Brown scored 7 of the Celtics’ first 10 points. Boston was active on defense, creating turnovers that led to fast break buckets, but with Porzingis and Horford out, Boston struggled with rebounding. Still, a few baskets from Jrue Holiday put them out front. The Hawks were playing fast, with Young leading the way, but still trailed. A Jayson Tatum three-pointer gave the Boston Celtics a 33-21 lead to end the first quarter. Brown led with 9 points and Holiday had 8. Dyson Daniels had 6 points for the Hawks.
The Boston Celtics’ second quarter started oddly. They got multiple fast breaks but missed easy shots. This allowed Atlanta to cut into the lead. The Hawks caught fire after not making a three-pointer in the first quarter. Meanwhile, Boston went cold from beyond the arc and Atlanta took the lead. The Hawks went on a 14-3 run, completely turning the tables. Their fast pace began to pay benefits, keeping the Celtics on their toes. Onyeka Okongwu was dominating in the paint and hit a pair of three-pointers. At halftime, the Hawks led 52-48.
The Boston Celtics were outscored 31-15 in the second quarter. A bad stretch of offense and defense made all their hard work in the first quarter go up in smoke. Brown had 14 points but was shooting 5-of-13. Luke Kornet had 12 points, but Okongwu was scoring on him consistently. Tatum had a rough half with 5 points on 2-of-9 shooting. Okongwu led the Hawks with 12 points, followed by Daniels with 11. They responded emphatically after a hot Celtics start. In the second quarter, they made the Boston Celtics look like the same team they’ve been on this bad stretch.
The Boston Celtics Regain the Lead
The Hawks built on their lead in the third quarter. Young was picking the Boston Celtics apart with his passing and floaters. Meanwhile, the Celtics couldn’t find any consistent offense, missing everything from three-pointers to layups, but when Young went to the bench, Boston strung together a few good possessions. They went on a 12-2 run and both teams began to trade the lead. Buckets from Tatum, Derrick White, and Payton Pritchard put the Celtics ahead before Young hit a one-legged three-pointer. Through three quarters, the Boston Celtics led 78-73.
After trading the lead through the first three quarters, this game was set for a tight final stretch. After trading baskets, a couple of Pritchard makes put the Boston Celtics up by double digits. It did not last as Atlanta went on a 9-2 run to quickly make it a one-possession game. Pritchard then hit a pair of deep three-pointers that ignited the crowd, but Deandre Hunter responded for the Hawks. With 3:39 remaining, Boston held a 98-93 lead.
A Close Final Stretch
The Hawks answered again. They went on a 7-0 run, capped off by a three-pointer from Young. This gave Atlanta a 100-98 lead. White went to the free throw line and made both, tying the game. With less than a minute to go, Hunter missed an open three-pointer. This gave Boston a chance, and Brown made a clutch shot over Jaylen Johnson, giving them the lead. On the Hawks’ possession, the Celtics pressured them defensively, and Okongwu threw a bad pass, turning it over. Young then got a technical foul, and Boston went up three.
The Boston Celtics then turned it back over to Atlanta with a wayward pass. They chose to foul up three, and two free throws from Young made it a one-point game. Tatum made one free throw, and the Hawks scrambled. Young drew a foul and tied the game. Tatum missed a last-second shot, and the game went to overtime, tied 104-104.
In overtime, Tatum and Okongwu got into a scuffle over a rebound. This set the tone for a tense period. White and Young traded three-pointers. Brown then hit a three, but an Okongwu and-one gave Atlanta the lead. Daniels them a three-point lead, but Tatum answered. Down by one, the Boston Celtics had the ball. Okongwu blocked a Brown shot and the Hawks got the ball back. Johnson missed both free throws, but an Okongwu rebound gave them another shot. He made both, and Atlanta went on to win 119-115.
Final Thoughts
The Boston Celtics choked this game away and dropped to 29-13. With a three-point lead, they turned the ball over and let the Hawks force overtime. It’s more and more of the same poor play in the last two months. They have had worse losses this season, but this was easily their biggest choke down the stretch. Meanwhile, the Atlanta Hawks improved to 22-19, winning the season series over the Celtics. Trae Young finished with 28 points and 11 assists, leading the team.
