Final: Celtics 129, Hawks 108 -- Another blowout win

The Celtics got some reinforcements back in Gordon Hayward and Jaylen Brown on Friday night but they didn’t even need them against one of the worst teams in the NBA. The hosts rolled to a 24-point lead in the first quarter behind the offense of Kyrie Irving (12 of 24 points in first quarter) and Marcus Morris (6-of-8 from 3-point range) as they cruised to their eighth straight win with Al Horford (left knee) resting on the sidelines. Boston has won seven games during their streak by nine or more points and posted 113 points or more in all eight games of the streak. They now have the league’s ninth-best offense after spending the first 20 games of the season in the bottom third of the league.

First Half Notes

• Celtics open the game with nine straight makes, literally making this look like a men vs. boys matchup between the Celtics and Hawks starters.


• Kyrie Irving was the leader of the pack on that front with 12 first quarter points, while Marcus Morris knocked down his first four treys of the night to spearhead a 43-point first quarter effort.


• The second unit kept up the momentum in the final minutes of the first quarter but the defense started to fall apart when Robert Williams entered the game in the second quarter. He made a few mistakes in the midst of a 19-0 Hawks run that earned him back on the bench.


• Jaylen Brown really struggled as well during his first half stint, missing all five of his shots amid trying to do too much attacking the basket.


• Some really strong minutes by Jeremy Lin off the Hawks bench as he tried to breath some life into Atlanta's offense with his pace.


• Gordon Hayward was a stabilizing force for the Celtics offense in the final half of the second quarter, with 14 points and 4 assists as he knocked down a healthy dose of jumpers after a two-game absence.

• Gordon Hayward will be back on the floor after missing the last two games due to illness. Jaylen Brown sat out Wednesday with the same illness but he remains questionable. Al Horford (knee) will miss his third straight game while Guerschon Yabusele (ankle) is sidelined indefinitely.


• The Hawks are still without starting small forward Taurean Prince due to a sprained ankle. Jeremy Lin is questionable for them with a sore back while rookie Omari Spellman has also been ruled out.


• The Hawks have lost six of seven overall and are the worst 3-point shooting team in the league, knocking down just 31 percent of their attempts from downtown.


• The Celtics have won seven straight games with six of those wins coming by double digits. Boston's offensive ranking has jumped from 23rd to 11th during the course of the streak.