Celtics Rely On Defense, Effort To Limit High-Flying Hawks’ Offense
The Boston Celtics had an uphill climb to face when they hosted the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday night at TD Garden.
Boston lost two of its last three and entered without the services of Jrue Holiday (ankle) and Kristaps Porzingis (calf), who were both out with injuries. As a result, Boston would have to increase the team’s effort to pull out a win. With new contributors and a sound approach, the Celtics did just that with a 113-103 victory .
Playing against an Atlanta team that ranked second in the league in offensive rating, Boston forced nine steals and met the group’s intensity. Star guard Trae Young still did his thing with 33 points, but the Celtics kept his supporting cast in check for the win.
Offensively, Boston found a rhythm to play from ahead with 34 points from Jayson Tatum.
Story continues below advertisement“We just had to dig in,” Tatum told Abby Chin following the win, per NBC Sports Boston’s postgame coverage. “We had to find a way. That’s a really good offensive team. They put a lot of pressure on you. That fourth quarter, we just got big stops. We started moving the ball and got great shots when we wanted to.”
Regular contributors Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Derrick White all performed to drive the win. Boston also needed big nights from players such as Dalano Banton and Neemias Queta, who each stepped up in expanded roles.
“Credit to them and credit to our development staff for keeping those guys ready,” Mazzulla said, on NBC Sports Boston’s postgame coverage. “One of the things we want to show is guys who come in and work every day are always going to get an opportunity and be rewarded for that. ... They’ve helped impact winning.”
“This is a big team win,” Tatum added. “Guys who maybe don’t play as much, or at all, get a chance to come out here and help us get a win. That’s a true test of a good team. When guys are out, you can find a way to win a big game. Everybody played well. Everybody contributed.”
Story continues below advertisementIn addition to key defense from the starters, including a start on a solid night from Al Horford, the Celtics also earned extra opportunities on the glass with 18 offensive rebounds as a team, extending possessions with hustle.
“We wanted to execute and we wanted to get stops,” Mazzulla added. “... Offensive rebounding is what really made some winning plays.”
Against a capable scoring operation such as the Hawks, the Celtics benefited from an all-around performance to get back on track at home.
“Just really happy with our guys’ overall effort,” Mazzulla added. “They’re a tough team. They really try to control the margins.”
Story continues below advertisementThe Celtics look to continue the momentum into Tuesday’s In-Season Tournament battle with the Chicago Bulls.
