Everything you need to know about the Celtics' 123-115 win over the Hawks with BSJ insight and analysis
HEADLINES
Hot offense carries C’s to victory: Jayson Tatum had 20 of his game-high 28 points in the second half as the C’s used big third quarter (35-22) to get past the Hawks with a 123-115 victory. Gordon Hayward (24 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists) and Jaylen Brown (21 points) chipped in with big scoring nights with Kemba Walker and Marcus Smart sidelined but it was a member of the bench that came up big late as Grant Williams (13 points, 6 rebounds) hit a dagger layup in the game’s final minute to help put the Hawks away after a late rally.
Brad Wanamaker also scored a season-high 16 points off the pine and got the start in the second half over surprise starter Javonte Green. His impact on the offense was big in the 35-point third quarter but the C’s got sloppy in the fourth quarter (10 turnovers in the frame) which make things closer late than they needed to be before the C’s closed the door late.
Boston now has won four straight games and seven of eight overall. The C’s now head back to the Garden for a couple of home tilts against the Magic and Hawks.
Daniel Theis suffers sprained ankle: The German big man came down awkwardly in the third quarter on his right foot and had to be helped off the floor by trainers to the C’s locker room. Incredibly, he was cleared to return in the fourth quarter despite suffering a sprained right ankle but he could be in line to miss a game or two if it swells up on him in the coming days. He finished with 9 points and 2 rebounds in 19 minutes before going down with the injury.
Enes Kanter looks gimpy but productive in his return: While the C’s were down two key bodies in Walker and Smart, they saw the return of the Turkish big man to the lineup after a four-game absence due to a bruised hip. Kanter is still running around with a bit of a limp in his stride but it did not stop him from being productive in this one, as he grabbed three offensive rebounds and scored six points in his first 3 minutes on the floor. He finished with 8 points and 9 rebounds in 16 minutes, providing some needed pop off the bench for Boston as the reserves stepped up with 41 points with the starting lineup shorthanded.
TURNING POINT
The Celtics came storming out of the gates in the second half, going on a 14-4 run in the first three minutes of the third quarter to build a double-digit lead, led in part by the decision to start Brad Wanamaker at guard over Javonte Green. The Celtics never trailed again after the outburst.
TWO UP
Jayson Tatum: The All-Star scored 15 of his team-high 28 points in the third quarter on 6-of-9 shooting from the field, on his way to a very efficient 10-of-20 night. He was also a team-best +19 over his 34 minutes and 5-of-9 from 3-point range.
Brad Wanamaker: The reserve point guard has finally snapped out of his slump it appears, following up a terrific effort against Philly with another season-high 16 points against the Hawks. He also dished out five assists and collected four steals, making life tough on Trae Young who had a game-high nine turnovers despite scoring 34 points.
TWO DOWN
Tremont Waters: The rookie got a shot at point guard with Smart and Walker sidelined but he did more harm than good, especially in the second half. Waters committed three turnovers and four personal fouls over his 14 minutes, getting a little too careless with the ball at times.
Fourth-quarter turnovers: The Celtics did their best to give the game away in the fourth quarter, committing 10 of their 15 turnovers on the night in the frame against some pressure Atlanta defense. The C’s managed to hit enough shots late to hold on regardless but Brad Stevens compared the play to watching Ricky Vaughn throw the ball all over the place in Major League. The visitors got away with one against a subpar opponent.
TOP PLAY
From the no-look pass to the two-handed slam, it was easy to pick out tonight's @jetblue play of the game ? pic.twitter.com/CuWbUBUL9F
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) February 4, 2020
TWO TAKES B-ROBB WILL PROBABLY REGRET LATER
This was probably the best game of Grant Williams career: The development from Boston’s other rookies have been slow going this year but Williams is making some strong strides on both ends of the floor in recent weeks. He showed no hesitation on the offensive end in this one, knocking down a career-high six shots inside the arc including a strong take to the paint in the final minute of the game against John Collins. By stuffing the stat sheet in so many areas (13 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks and a steal), Williams is turning into the high IQ two-way thread that the C’s hoped could turn into a reliable small-ball big for them off the bench. He continues to hold up well in switches against guards on the defensive end and should be even better once he gets a friendly whistle from officials (he got the rookie treatment a lot in this one). He’s now played 17 minutes or more in his past four games and it’s going to be hard to take away too many minutes from him even as the C’s frontcourt gets healthy.
The Celtics are pretty much unbeatable when they shot well from 3: It’s a simple formula sometimes but effective when it comes to outside shooting for this group. The C’s shot 41 percent from 3-point range on the night and that improved their record to 16-0 on the season when they nail 39 percent of their 3s or better. They are 23-2 when they are above-average (36 percent from better) from 3-point range. This type of consistency with a top-5 defense is what will prove to be a difference-maker in the postseason in all likelihood with some many perimeter threats out on the floor. Wanamaker (two made 3s) helped carry the weight tonight for the second unit but adding another reliable outside threat beyond him will help the C’s to get to that 36 percent mark on more nights. Maintaining that consistent spacing even while resting key rotation pieces will be essential to give the C’s a chance at that critical No. 2 seed in the second half of the season.
