The Hawks entered Wednesday night time ranked second within the NBA in mid-range makes per sport. However with Boston limiting their influence from past the arc, Atlanta struggled to maintain up with its guests.
It did not assist that the Celtics drilled 18/40 (45 p.c) of their threes and, regardless of taking part in short-handed, acquired 44 factors from their second unit.
Now, for a deep dive into Boston’s eighth-straight win.
Celtics’ Protection Stymies Hawks’ Offense by Forcing Them to Stay within the Mid-Vary
It was good to see Derrick White on the lookout for his shot firstly of the sport, together with driving, taking what the protection gave him, and going up for a layup that Al Horford cleaned up.
White buried a 3 from above the break shortly after that, giving Boston an early 9-5 lead.
On the 4:38 mark, Blake Griffin subbed in for the primary time in a gap quarter this season. Griffin’s began video games, however he is by no means come off the bench within the first 12 minutes till tonight.
Trae Younger’s first shot did not come till his second shift when he missed a floater with 4:06 remaining.
With 2:57 to go, Jayson Tatum got here off a high-ball display from Luke Kornet and delivered a no-look lob to Kornet for a reverse jam that prolonged the Celtics’ benefit to 22-13.
On the 2:32 mark, Boston had solely transformed on three pictures from past the arc, however two had been wide-open seems to be for Sam Hauser. That included swishing one after working him off a staggered display after Younger poorly navigated his manner via site visitors and acquired no assist as he and his teammates watched Hauser drill a 3 to place Boston forward 25-14.
With 1:37 left, Luke Kornet closed out to Trae Younger within the nook and acquired a bit of Younger’s shot. Kornet continues to make a constructive influence together with his minutes.
Shortly after that, Payton Pritchard did nicely to win a race to a unfastened ball heading in direction of the sideline, resulting in what ought to’ve been a fast-break jam for Tatum, however in Shaqtin’ A Idiot trend, the ball slipped out of Tatum’s palms as he went up for the slam.
Whereas the quarter ended with Younger making a floater for his first subject purpose, the Celtics outscored Atlanta 10-5 within the last three minutes, taking a 30-18 lead into the second body.
In addition to the Hawks sometimes shoot from the mid-range, Boston’s forcing them to make their residing from there. It is troublesome to maintain up even when capturing nicely from there; struggling to transform on these makes an attempt is making it that rather more difficult for Atlanta.
The hosts shot 33.3 p.c from the sphere, 0/6 from past the arc, and so they took ten of their 24 makes an attempt from the mid-range; they went 4/10 on these seems to be.
Celtics’ Second Unit Propels Boston to Halftime Lead
Justin Jackson began the second quarter for the short-handed Celtics, logging uncommon minutes for the North Carolina alum.
With 8:27 to play within the interval, Kornet ended up on DeAndre Hunter on the proper wing, bottled up his drive, then swatted Hunter’s shot.
Two possessions later, Jackson thwarted a Dejounte Murray try off the drive.
However then got here a 9-2 Hawks run, as they made a residing on the basket. That burst included a pair of alley-oops to John Collins and an old-school three-point play by Hunter, who produced a layup plus tax after he acquired fouled.
Collins’ second slam trimmed what was as soon as a 16-point lead right down to 9.
On the following Celtics’ possession, Tatum acquired the ball matched up with Hunter within the mid-post. Slightly than forcing the problem, he kicked the ball out to White, holding the ball in movement. It ended up within the palms of Grant Williams within the left nook, and he up-faked, took a dribble towards the baseline, and swished a 3 that gave Boston a 50-38 benefit.
Scoring the Celtics’ final six factors of the quarter, Pritchard despatched the guests into the locker room on a excessive be aware, pulling up and burying a 3 from 29 toes to provide Boston a 62-53 lead at halftime.
Pritchard and Hauser entered the break 3/3 from past the arc, contributing 9 factors apiece off the bench. Kornet, a fellow second-unit member, was additionally 3/3, offering the opposite six of the 24 factors the Celtics acquired from their bench on an evening they’re short-handed.
Conversely, the Hawks’ second unit tallied eight factors within the first half.
Together with the Celtics’ second unit stepping up, Williams drilled three of his six makes an attempt from past the arc, registering 9 factors.
In the meantime, Tatum entered the break with seven factors on 3/13 capturing, together with 1/8 from past the arc. A few of these threes got here from him forcing the problem, looking for a rhythm. That is to not say it is one thing to fault him for, however Boston might do a greater job getting him higher-quality pictures within the second half.
Taking part in in his residence state, Brown had 9 factors on 4/11 capturing, together with 0/5 from lengthy vary.
Celtics Warmth Up from Past the Arc, Constructing 19-Level Lead Getting into Closing Body
The Celtics got here out firing within the third quarter, pulling down 4/5 threes, together with three from the left wing; after Tatum cashed in on his second three of the night time, Boston 74-61 with 7:59 remaining within the interval, prompting Nate McMillan to take a timeout.
On the 6:42 mark, Horford completely timed his contest of a layup by Younger, swatting it from behind.
A few minute later, stunning ball motion led to a 3 for Horford from the left nook, extending the Celtics’ run to 13-4 and giving the guests an 81-65 lead.
The following time down the ground, Tatum attacked Murray from the low block, initiating contact, then spinning baseline for a layup. Boston could be smart to get Tatum extra touches down low, particularly on an evening the place he is struggling from past the arc.
On the Celtics’ following possession, Kornet tipped in a missed layup by Tatum. With that, Boston had scored 11-straight factors, pushing the result in 85-65 with 4:36 to play within the quarter.
The Hawks responded with a 7-2 burst, together with a Younger floater after he acquired met with no resistance coming down the center of the paint. He additionally buried a 3 and threw a lob to Collins, who elevated over Kornet for the flush, lowering the deficit to 87-71 with 2:47 left.
The body ended with Williams displaying his enchancment at making performs off the dribble, driving out of the appropriate nook for a layup that gave the Celtics a 97-78 benefit coming into the ultimate 12 minutes.
Boston buried 7/12 three-point makes an attempt within the third quarter.
Jaylen Brown Ensures Early Night time for Celtics Starters
After two turnovers to start out the body, Atlanta grabbed three offensive rebounds the following time it acquired the ball. It took 4 pictures, however the Hawks lastly made the Celtics pay for not ending the possession as A.J. Griffin stepped right into a mid-range jumper off the dribble.
That gave the hosts 12 offensive rebounds and 13 second-chance factors. Nonetheless, Boston held a 99-82 lead with 10:03 to go. It additionally introduced Horford to the scorer’s desk.
Persevering with to shut out Wednesday’s win, Brown buried a pair of mid-range jumpers off the dribble and produced two layups, together with one off a steal, extending the Celtics’ benefit to 110-84 with 7:07 remaining. That additionally gave Brown 20 factors.
And after Brown prolonged his team-high complete to 22 factors with one other layup, Joe Mazzulla emptied the bench as the tip of the rotation completed out Boston’s 126-101 win.
In a second-straight sport that mirrored Tatum’s means to make an influence past his scoring, he registered 19 factors, dished out eight assists, and grabbed seven rebounds in Wednesday’s victory.
White, returning to the beginning lineup for the short-handed Celtics was glorious, delivering 16 factors on 6/11 capturing, together with 2/4 from past the arc. He additionally led all gamers with ten assists.
The latter determine displays White doing an excellent job holding the ball transferring and constantly getting it to his teammates in place to attain.
Collectively, Boston assisted on 23/37 (62.2 p.c) of its subject objectives. Holding the ball transferring and everybody concerned offensively performed a pivotal function within the Celtics capturing 18/40 (45 p.c) from past the arc.
That was additionally important to the second unit contributing 44 factors, together with 15 from Hauser and 14 from Pritchard. The previous drilled 5 of his six threes, whereas the latter went 4/6 from lengthy vary.
Boston additionally acquired 15 factors from Kornet, who completed 7/7, doing almost all of his injury on the rim but in addition pulling down a nook three within the last body.
Up Subsequent
The Celtics head to New Orleans for a Friday night time showdown in opposition to the Pelicans. The sport ideas off at 8:30 pm EST. Inside The Celtics can have content material associated to the sport popping out earlier than, throughout, and after. And comply with @BobbyKrivitsky on Twitter for updates and evaluation from pregame to put up.
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