1. Powerful Day on the Workplace
After the Celtics went into Atlanta and beat the Hawks by 26, Atlanta determined to return the favor by beating Boston 117-106 in TD Backyard. It was an annoying sport to observe as a result of each time the Celtics bought near coming again and minimize into the lead, the Hawks would go on a run. The frustration was undoubtedly boiling over for Boston, no higher personified than when Joe Mazzulla misplaced it on the refs within the third quarter. Mazzulla primarily waved the white flag on the 4:39 mark of the fourth quarter and Atlanta exacted their revenge.
Within the postgame interview, Joe Mazzulla was adiment about this being a sport that you simply simply flush away. From the recent Hawks taking pictures to the Celtics turnovers, Mazzulla simply chalked it as much as “only a unhealthy day on the workplace.”
2. Celtics Sluggish Begin Value them the sport
This loss began with the Celtics very sluggish begin to the primary quarter and it felt like they by no means recovered from it. The Hawks went on a 26-9 run to open the sport up by 3:35 mark. Anfernee Simons tried to will the Celtics again into the sport with 8 straight factors out of the timeout, however the rating was 38-18 after the primary quarter. The Hawks shot 13-26 (50%) from the sector and 7-12 (58%) from three. Though Boston bought shut a number of occasions on this sport, the monster begin by Atlanta actually was the start of the tip for this sport.
3. Three Level Distinction
Previously the Celtics have gained and misplaced video games this season simply due to the three level shot. That was the nice equalizer once more on this sport, but it surely was on the dropping finish for Boston. The Celtics shot 9-34 (27%) from three as a crew on this one whereas the Hawks shot 18-42 (43%) from three. In a sport the place Boston misplaced by 11 and Atlanta made 9 extra three pointers, that could be a recipe for a assured loss.
Celtics Taking pictures Zone Chart (By way of NBA.com)
4. Brown/Pritchard/White Off Nights
It was a troublesome sport for the Celtics three essential offensive guys tonight as Jaylen Brown, Payton Pritchard, and Derrick White all mixed to shoot 19-44 (43%) from the sector however 1-13 (7%) from three. There have been occasions the place all three of them had brief bursts on this sport that minimize in to Atlanta’s lead but it surely by no means felt all that cohesive.
Derrick White had a burst within the third quarter that began with a 3 on wing. He then was capable of make a pleasant driving layup off of display by Luka Garza. Subsequent he was being defended by Jalen Johnson, was capable of cease on a dime and hit a mid vary jumper over him. Lastly, he drove into the midrange and hit a floater over CJ McCollum.
Pritchard went on his brief run firstly of the fourth quarter. He began with a pump faux over McCollum, bought him up within the air, then completed a large open layup. The following bucket got here when he ran round a Garza display and hit a pleasant midrange jumper over Onyeka Okongwu. Lastly, he was matched up on Corey Kispert and hit one other mid vary jumper over him after make a fast cease.
Brown additionally had his burst within the fourth quarter but it surely was within the center when the Celtics had been attempting to make their final try at successful the sport. He began with a pleasant play the place Luke Kennard was guarding him and Brown simply took him to his spot within the midrange and splashed the jumper. The following play got here on a drive blowing by Jalen Johnson the place he was fouled and completed the layup for an And-1. The third play was a aim tending name in opposition to Dyson Daniels. Lastly, he was matched up on Daniels once more and hit a candy midrange jumper with him draped throughout him.
In a sport the place numerous guys struggled to get going, Anfernee Simons was capable of play a fairly good sport total. He completed with 12 factors on 5-7 taking pictures from the sector and 2-4 from three. He was an enormous a part of the Celtics turning the sport round within the first quarter with some actually large baskets.
Simons got here out of a Celtics timeout and completed a pleasant finger roll over the outstretched arm of Okongwu. Subsequent he bought the ball from Amari Williams and hit a aspect step three over Nickeil Alexander-Walker. Lastly, on the subsequent Celtics possession he hit one other three over Alexander-Walker in primarily the identical precise place.
One other man that had night time for the Celtics on this sport was Luka Garza coming off of the bench after lacking Monday’s sport in opposition to the Path Blazers with an sickness. Garza completed with 11 factors, 6 rebounds, and a profession excessive 6 assists.
All of Garza’s baskets got here within the second quarter however they had been just about all robust buckets. The primary one was a put again layup the place he sealed off Luke Kennard and was capable of end the play after Jordan Walsh missed a layup. The following play got here when Brown discovered him extensive open beneath the basket and completed an And-1 layup via contact. The third basket was one other layup, this time without work of a pleasant bounce move by Derrick White. The fourth was an all out hustle play the place he missed a layup, grabbed his personal rebound, and put it again as much as rating. Lastly, after Brown missed a layup, Garza was capable of faucet it again up twice to complete the basket.
In terms of his new profession excessive in assists, Garza had two of them that made him seem like the new-aged Magic Johnson. The primary one got here off of a pleasant offense rebound off of a Sam Hauser missed three. Hauser then was capable of relocate to the nook the place Garza made a pleasant move to seek out him to hit the three. The second began with a pleasant decide and roll between Hugo Gonzalez and Luka Garza. Garza obtained a bounce move and made a pleasant move over a double crew to discover a slicing Jordan Walsh who completed with a reverse layup.
7. Powerful Amari Williams Sport
Coming off a pair good video games in opposition to the Bulls and the Path Blazers, Amari Williams had a little bit of tough sport. Williams completed with 2 factors, 6 rebounds, and a pair of assists on 1-3 taking pictures. He began the sport for the Celtics and performed 10 minutes within the first quarter however after that was benched for the remainder of the sport till rubbish time. The rationale I can consider for his benching was a end result of the 2 smoked layups and two turnovers within the first quarter.
His firs robust play got here on a foul move to Jaylen Brown. Williams was attempting to make a bounce move to Brown however simply threw it into Dyson Daniels toes for a turnover that resulted in a Corey Kispert three. The following play got here on the Celtics subsequent offensive possession the place he ran a decide and roll with Brown. Two defenders went to Brown and it appeared like Williams had a simple layup however he simply smoked it on the way in which up. The following one got here on alley-oop move from Derrick White that Williams didn’t slam down, however tried to put it up and smoked once more. Lastly, on the finish of the primary quarter, he dedicated an unlawful display at half courtroom on Alexander-Walker and Mazzulla pulled him for the remainder of the night time. That is regular for a rookie within the NBA to have rising pains but it surely was arduous to not see Williams efficiency as a cause for the Celtics sluggish begin on this sport.
8. Baylor Scheierman Hustle
Baylor Scheierman had a fairly two first quarters of this sport however as soon as he entered the sport within the third quarter, he was chaos personified. Scheierman had all 6 of his factors within the third quarter together with 2 rebounds, 1 help, and numerous hustle performs.
Scheierman began his run of nice play by drawing a cost on Jalen Johnson the place Johnson threw his shoulder into Baylor’s chest. Then on the subsequent possession, Baylor drew the eye of three Hawks defenders and located Hugo Gonzalez extensive open for a nook three. The following play got here the place the ball was being juggled within the air, Scheierman picked it off and drove to the lane for a layup. That was till Okongwu hit him with a horse collar sort out and Baylor went to the road and hit 1-2 free throws. Lastly, on the 1:13 mark, Scheierman backed down CJ McCollum from the three level line to the basket and completed an And-1 layup over him.
Neemias Queta was dominated OUT earlier than this sport with an sickness and I didn’t know the Celtics would look so poor within the paint with out him. Clearly he’s what makes their protection function as a result of Boston ended up getting destroyed within the factors within the paint battle, giving up 44. Hawks had been capable of make the most of Williams to start out the sport within the first quarter, taking pictures 5-9. The second quarter was a little bit higher for Boston as Garza took over and held Atlanta to 4-9 taking pictures. Nonetheless, as soon as the Celtics ran a small ball lineup within the third quarter, the Hawks had been capable of feast down low, taking pictures 8-9.
This was a sport that was dominated by turnovers for the Celtics. The Hawks solely completed with 9 turnovers however Boston ended with 16 turnovers on the night time the place Atlanta was capable of generate 23 factors off of them. These turnovers had been most seen within the first half because the Celtics had 9 of them. This culminated with the robust taking pictures sport from three was an enormous cause for the loss.
