The Celtics continue to live and die by the three, beating the Hawks 134-125 on Saturday by shooting 47.6% from behind the arc (20-for-42). Atlanta, on the other hand, only shot 29.4% from three (10-for-34).
To start, both teams played horrible defense, giving this game an All-Star Game vibe. After the 75-point first quarter, things started to pick up defensively for the Celtics, who gave up a game-low 23 points in the second while scoring 34.
The Celtics maintained a short lead as the game progressed thanks to Jayson Tatum, who finished with 34 points, 15 rebounds (all defensive) and six assists. But, the game nearly slipped away from the Celtics late.
With 1:25 left on the clock and the score 129-121, Marcus Smart was ejected. He got into a scuffle with Trae Young, who kicked Smart in the groin while driving to make a layup. Young was awarded two free throws on the play, made both and turned the contest into a two-possession game at 129-123.
Following a missed 3-point attempt from Tatum with 1:04 on the clock, the Hawks had a wild offensive possession. The result: two failed shot attempts from Young and a blocked shot from Al Horford against John Collins, which Tatum recovered and fed to Malcolm Brogdon, who put the dagger in Atlanta.
Young edged out Tatum by one in the scoring column while logging 13 assists and three rebounds, but the Atlanta guard's nonexistent defense continues to be a liability for the Hawks. Meanwhile, Jaylen Brown had a quiet 24 points with seven assists and five rebounds while Brogdon and Derrick White had 18 points apiece. In total, the Celtics had 38 bench points vs. Atlanta's 37, and 35 team assists vs. the Hawks' 24.
Despite panic after losing three close games in a row, the Celtics have been able to refocus as a group and win two consecutive games, showing it would be foolish to count them out now.
