Brogdon's Celtics Outlast Hunter's Hawks in Game 6 to Advance in NBA Playoffs

Malcolm Brogdon and the Boston Celtics eliminated De'Andre Hunter and the Atlanta Hawks in six games to advance to the Eastern Conference Semifinals

Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

The battle of the Wahoos in the NBA Playoffs has been won by Malcolm Brogdon, Sam Hauser, and the Boston Celtics. Brogdon and Hauser combined to score 20 points off the bench to help the Celtics eliminate De'Andre Hunter's Atlanta Hawks with a 128-120 victory in Game 6 on Thursday night in Atlanta. 

Reprising his role as the top bench player in the NBA, as recognized by his Sixth Man of the Year Award, Malcolm Brogdon contributed 17 points, four assists, and two rebounds in 29 minutes of action in the decisive Game 6 win. For the series, Brogdon averaged 13.3 points per game and scored at least 14 points in each of the last four games to help the Celtics earn the series win. Although he came off the bench, Brogdon was frequently included in Boston's closing fourth quarter lineups throughout the series. 

After spending most of Boston's run to the NBA Finals last season on the bench, Sam Hauser got a small taste of real NBA Playoff minutes in the first round series against the Hawks. Hauser scored in four of the six games, including a solid showing in Game 5, playing 13 minutes and recording eight points on 3/5 shooting with two rebounds, two assists, and a block. Expect the Celtics to continue to look to Sam Hauser throughout the playoffs to provide a shooting spark off the bench and his performances should get more reliable as he gains more playoff experience. 

On the other side, De'Andre Hunter did everything he could to try to keep Atlanta's season alive. In Game 6, Hunter recorded 20 points, six rebounds, one assist, one steal, and one block and shot 7/17 from the floor and 4/8 from three-point range all while defending Boston's best player Jayson Tatum. Hunter averaged 16.7 points per game for the series and was in double figures in every game. He dropped 27 points in Game 4, which didn't quite match his playoff career-high of 35 points that he scored last season with his Hawks facing elimination against the Miami Heat. Although his season came to an end in the first round, Hunter has proven that he can deliver when it matters most, producing on the offensive end while guarding the opposing team's best player on the defensive end. 

Malcolm Brogdon, Sam Hauser, and the No. 2 seed Boston Celtics advance to the Eastern Conference Semifinals, where they will face the No. 3 seed Philadelphia 76ers. Game 1 between the Celtics and Sixers will be on Monday, May 1st at 7:30pm in Boston. 

Stay up to date on all the former Virginia athletes playing at the professional level here: Pro Hoos on Sports Illustrated

See more Virginia sports news and content: Virginia Cavaliers on Sports Illustrated

To stay up to date on all Virginia Cavaliers sports news, follow CavaliersNow on social media:

Facebook: @CavaliersNow
Twitter: @CavaliersNowFN