The Boston Celtics and Hawks will play for the second game this week on Thursday in Atlanta, giving the Celtics an opportunity to get revenge for their humiliating Monday breakdown.
With a 120-118 victory, the home Hawks halted Boston’s nine-game winning run after overcoming a 30-point deficit. Both this season’s NBA comeback and the biggest in Hawks history were accomplished.
Celtics star Jayson Tatum stated, “We let our foot off the gas in the second half and they got a great rhythm.” “It’s a tough pill to swallow.”
“You give (hope) to that type of team, you relax too much and give them some open looks, those guys can make shots,” Boston’s Kristaps Porzingis continued. It will be difficult to turn it around and get it back to where we wanted it since they are an offensively oriented squad. Simply put, we gave them too much life.”
After winning the first two games in Boston, 113-103 on November 26 and 125-117 on February 7, Boston now leads the season series 2-1.
Throughout the two games of the series, the Celtics stayed in Atlanta in between games. However, the Hawks hosted and defeated the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday due to a scheduling anomaly.
“It’s weird playing (Boston) on a back-to-back, but there’s no excuses in this league,” Atlanta’s Garrison Mathews said: “We’ve got to come ready to play. We know they’re going to try to get us back and we have to come ready to play.”
Atlanta (33-39) has won three in a row after its 120-106 win over Portland and remains 10th in the Eastern Conference standings. The Hawks were unable to pick up ground Wednesday on the ninth-place Chicago Bulls, who won to remain 1 1/2 games ahead, but also did not lose ground to the 11th-place Brooklyn Nets, who also won and trail Atlanta by 5 1/2 games.
The Hawks continue to ride the offense of Dejounte Murray. He scored 30 points against the Blazers and has put up 28-plus in three of his past four games.
Atlanta, playing without three starters and a key reserve, is getting contributions from different backups each night. Mathews scored a season-high 21 points against Portland. Vit Krejci matched his career high with 16 points vs. Boston.
“This team has been unselfish,” Atlanta coach Quin Snyder said.
Boston (57-15) has clinched the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, owns the best road record in the league (25-12), has the best offensive rating in the NBA (122.5) and ranks second in defensive rating (110.7). Last season, the Celtics became the third team in NBA history to finish in the top three in both offensive and defensive rating.
“This team has been unselfish,” Atlanta coach Quin Snyder said.
Boston (57-15) has clinched the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, owns the best road record in the league (25-12), has the best offensive rating in the NBA (122.5) and ranks second in defensive rating (110.7). Last season, the Celtics became the third team in NBA history to finish in the top three in both offensive and defensive rating.
The Atlanta lineup also remains without Jalen Johnson (right ankle sprain), Saddiq Bey (torn left ACL) and key reserve Onyeka Okongwu (sprained left toe).
