BSJ Game Report: Celtics 125, Hawks 117 - White, Porzingis help C's overcome bad defensive effort

Everything you need to know about the Celtics win over the Hawks, with BSJ insight and analysis.

IN A NUTSHELL

Boston gave up 37 points in the first quarter, 21 combined to Saddiq Bey and Trae Young, to take an early two-point lead. Al Horford had a huge second quarter on both ends (11 points, three blocks) to push Boston to a four-point halftime lead. They actually added one to the lead in the third despite Jayson Tatum struggling. They built a 13-point lead in the fourth, and it looked like they were running away, but the Hawks made one last run but could get no closer than five. 

Box Score

HEADLINES

- It’s a win: The Celtics will take the wins and not apologize for them as they try to figure out how to get through this turbulent time. They're still 4-2 on this homestand, and they're still top 10 in the NBA in both offense and defense over that six-game stretch. So as bad as it has felt for some people watching, it’s probably not as bad in actuality. 

- Defensive struggles: They figured some things out in the second half, but the first half was ridiculous with them giving up 67 points, nine offensive rebounds, and 12 second chance points. Sure, some of it might have just been Bey going off from 3 in the first half, but the Celtics have had some tough defensive moments here and there. Their defensive rating in this game was 110.4 though, basically right where it is right now at third in the NBA. 

- Offense isn’t a problem: Kristaps Porzingis scored 31, Derrick Whit had 21, and Tatum found his way to 20. They put up 125 points and an offensive rating of 119. The Celtics scoring hasn’t been an issue. 

TURNING POINT*

The Celtics went on a 16-5 run to open up a 13-point lead in the fourth quarter. They basically held until the 2:34 mark and then they relaxed, the lead got to five, and Porzingis needed to ice the game with another 3-pointer. But that early run got them the cushion they needed. 

THINGS I LIKED

- Kristaps Porzingis: He could barely miss in this game. He finished 13-19 from the field, 2-4 from 3, 3-4 from the line, on his way to a 31 point night. Tack on a couple of blocked shots and it’s exactly the type of night a very good, very tall player should have against a not-good, not-tall Hawks team. 

The best part was his celebration after what he thought was***premium** a corner 3-pointer late in the game. 

via GIPHY

“I haven’t hit one this season yet from the corner … I had one in OKC and I stepped on the line, and today again I stepped on the line. I was celebrating and I thought it was a 3 but it was a 2. … Because of my stance or whatever I cannot hit a corner 3. Hopefully soon.”

- Derrick White: The man continues to deliver. If I were to ask someone which player on the floor is joining Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown in the All-Star game, White or Porzingis would look like the obvious answers (or maybe Bey after his first half). White outplayed Young all night long, especially in the second half. White hit two ridiculous shots from the left break. This one in the third: 

via GIPHY

And then this one in the fourth.

Those are ridiculous shots. White hit four 3-pointers in the fourth to help seal this game.

- This celebration from White:

Honestly one of the funniest things I’ve seen. 

- Al Horford: He had a monster second quarter to keep the Celtics afloat and then he finished with eight assists, tying a season-high. He finished with 14/8/8 and then four blocks and two steals on the defensive end. 

“I'm trying to play to win the game and try to — whatever the defense gives us, that's what we're gonna do,” Horford said. “And for me, a lot of the time, there's more joy with me when I'm able to find somebody and have them either finish at the rim or hit a 3 or something like that. I enjoy that. That's the type of basketball that I like to play.”

- Tatum going to the rim: He was 4-4 at the rim with some spectacular finishes and 5-6 overall in the paint. He was getting to the rim at will and he was able to finish over and through anyone the Hawks threw at him. 

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE

- Tatum shooting 3-pointers: He finished 2-13 from deep. So I asked him why shoot so much when the attacking was working.

“It’s easy to look back on it and say I should have done this and that,” he said. “Sometimes, those shots are in the flow and rhythm and you just miss. But the easy answer is when you look back and missed a lot of jumpers, it’s like ‘alright I should have drove,’ but you move on to the next one.” 

Okay, fine. What about the coach? Does he have a say? Should he have pulled Tatum aside and told him to rein in the 3-pointers?

“I think it’s easy to say that in a vacuum. It’s easy to say that after the game,” Mazzulla said. “Because at the time you don’t want to say something like that and then take away from his ability to make those shots and the freedom and the mindset to do so.”

He did say that there were a couple that seemed forced, but still, the Celtics probably could have benefited from Tatum dialing it back just a little. 

- First half defense (and the late fourth): I’ll get into this a bit more elsewhere, but the Celtics need to find a better defensive flow at some point moving forward. Al Horford admitted that there's some slippage on the defensive end, and Boston has to find a way to correct that soon. 

HIGHLIGHTS

ONE TAKE KARALIS WILL PROBABLY REGRET LATER

- Trae Young making the All-Star game over Derrick White is a travesty.

The Hawks fell to 22-29 after this game. Young has some gaudy stats, but there wasn’t a single moment in this game where I thought “THAT guy is an All-Star who is just in a bad situation.” 

Now of course this one game isn't the determining factor. Like I said, the offensive numbers are good (27.3 ppg, 10.9 apg), but his impact is crap. 

According to Cleaning The Glass, White is +7.2 per game when he’s on the floor. Young is -1.2. In standard NBA +/-, White is +8 per game, good for fifth. Young is -1.8, which puts him at 383rd. 

White is much more impactful, making a bigger contribution to a better team. Young doesn’t get to pick his teammates, but as the best player on the team he has to bear some of the brunt of what’s happening. The Hawks had the Celtics in a tight game with a chance to maybe steal one in Boston. Young no-showed, especially in the second half. 

White dropped 12 fourth quarter points and helped the Celtics with their 24th game at home, more than the Hawks have won all season. Young threw some nice passes, but there's no way he should have been an All-Star over White. 

I wonder how many people in the Hawks organization, if given a chance to answer honestly, would take White over Young straight up right now. I bet you’d find a few. I wouldn’t trade White for Young right now. It would make the Celtics so much worse. 

White deserved that spot. Young does not. 

Next Up: The Celtics wrap up their homestand against the Washington Wizards on Friday night at 7:30