Inside The Celtics

Here's What Stood Out as Celtics Overcame Poor Second Half vs. Hawks Sunday

The Celtics improved to 7-0 at home and 13-4 overall on Sunday, earning a 113-103 win over the Atlanta Hawks at TD Garden.

Bobby Krivitsky

Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
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Sunday evening at TD Garden, the Boston Celtics bounced back from Friday's 113-96 loss to the Orlando Magic, earning a 113-103 win over the Atlanta Hawks.

They started the game by playing with pace, staying active off the ball, and working inside out to create quality, in-rhythm shots.

That approach is the easiest way for this team to remain energized, locked in at both ends, and to sustain scoring. Sunday, it fueled a 33-26 first frame.

Unfortunately, after a slight drop-off in the second quarter, the third was Boston's worst of the matchup. That's a years-long issue that killed them against the Magic, most notably giving up a 17-0 run on Friday.

Two days later, the hosts got outscored 29-21 in the first 12 minutes after halftime and shot a frigid 36.8 percent from the field, including 2/10 from beyond the arc.

Operating at a slower tempo is a common trait in their poor performances in the third frame. It submarined their ball movement and shot quality against Atlanta.

The final 12 minutes weren't much better, as the C's survived a low-scoring frame, outpacing the Hawks 23-21. They were also fortunate the visitors missed a few wide-open attempts, including multiple Trae Young threes.

The Hawks' star guard led his team with 33 points. Jayson Tatum generated a game-high 34, pairing it with nine rebounds, four assists, and two steals. He also committed six of Boston's 13 turnovers, though.

Jaylen Brown chipped in 21 points, seven rebounds, three assists, and two steals.

But Derrick White was the Celtics' best player on Sunday. He registered 15 points; he had a game-high 11 assists -- he was the only participant who reached double digits in that category -- and his three steals were the most in the matchup. His plus-29 plus-minus rating was the highest on either side.

Al Horford also starred in his role, grabbing a game-high 15 rebounds. He also put six points on the board, swatted two shots, and, like White, served as a steadying force. The former Florida Gator netted a plus-17 plus-minus rating, the second-highest mark in Sunday's contest.

Now for a deep dive into what stood out as Boston overcame getting outscored 50-44 in the second half to improve to 7-0 at home and 13-4 overall.

1. With Jrue Holiday inactive for the second-straight game due to a right ankle sprain, Dalano Banton got the start in his absence.

He joined Derrick White, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, and Al Horford as the first five out for the hosts. The latter started in place of Kristaps Porzingis, dealing with a left calf strain that Joe Mazzulla said pregame he'll get re-examined in a week, meaning he'll miss at least Boston's next three matchups.

2. The Celtics played with pace; they moved the ball effectively in the first frame, those who didn't have the rock stayed active, constantly cutting, and they did a good job playing inside-out basketball to create quality, in-rhythm shots.

Energy plays like this sequence below, where White swatted Trae Young's attempt, leading to an alley-oop from Tatum to Brown at the other end, also helped Boston take a 33-26 advantage into the second quarter.

That translated to making 50 percent of their field goals, producing 14 points in the pain, and assisting on nine of 12 made shots.

3. Energy plays like this sequence below, where White swatted Trae Young's attempt, leading to an alley-oop from Tatum to Brown at the other end, also helped Boston take a 33-26 advantage into the second quarter.

4. To help manage the rotation at center with Porzingis out, Joe Mazzulla called Neemias Queta's number to start the following period. Like his first minutes this season, he operated alongside Horford in a double-big lineup.

The 24-year-old from Portugal earned a shift that lasted 7:09, grabbing six rebounds, including five at the offensive end. He also tipped a loose ball to Sam Hauser, extending a possession. And he scored five points.

Most of the latter came on a play where he fought for position, snagged a missed three by Tatum, and then cleaned up his own miss, finishing through contact. Queta proceeded to tack on the free throw, completing the old-school three-point play.

5. The Celtics did a great job of winning within the margins in the first half, parlaying seven Atlanta turnovers into 14 points and generating 12 second-chance points off 13 offensive rebounds. That helped the hosts take a 69-53 advantage into halftime.

While Trae Young led the Hawks with 20 points at the break -- he also picked up a technical -- he was their only player to score in double figures.

Tatum paced all participants with 21 points in the first 24 minutes. Boston also got 13 apiece from Derrick White and Jaylen Brown. That includes the latter posterizing Clint Capela.

6. The years-long problem of the C's playing poorly in the third quarter didn't take Sunday's game off.

They only put 21 points on the board, shot a frigid 36.8 percent from the field, including faring 2/10 from beyond the arc, and their four turnovers led to ten points for Atlanta.

A 10-0 run by the visitors and Bogdan Bogdanovic heating up, drilling 4/5 shots and producing 12 points in a period they also got ten from De'Andre Hunter, helped them cut a 16-point deficit in half, entering the final 12 minutes trailing 90-82.

7. The hosts didn't play particularly well in the fourth quarter either, including committing four turnovers before the 5:30 mark. But despite only registering 23 points in the period, they held the Hawks, who missed some open looks, including threes by Young, to 21, holding on for a 113-103 victory.

8. The Celtics' next play on Tuesday night, when they host the Chicago Bulls in an in-season tournament game that will tip-off at 7:30 EST at TD Garden.

Further Reading

Celtics' Loss to Magic Highlights Their Most Concerning Traits

Jaylen Brown, Kristaps Porzingis Discuss Their Quickly Cultivated Chemistry: 'An Automatic Connection'

Here's What Stood Out as Celtics Best Bucks to Stay atop East at Thanksgiving

Jrue Holiday Shares His Perspective on First Matchup vs. Bucks Since They Traded Him

Kristaps Porzingis Explains Why Celtics Have NBA's Best Clutch Record

Celtics Discuss Significance of Rivalry Win vs. 76ers for No. 1 Seed in East

Joe Mazzulla Believes Celtics' Second Unit is 'Starting to Develop an Identity'

Kristaps Porzingis Discusses Chemistry with Jaylen Brown: 'I Love Playing with Him'

Kristaps Porzingis Gives Glimpse of How He'll Boost Celtics Late-Game Offense

Under Joe Mazzulla, Celtics Rebuilding Brotherhood Between Past and Present

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Bobby Krivitsky
BOBBY KRIVITSKY

Bobby Krivitsky's experiences include covering the NBA as a credentialed reporter for Basketball Insiders. He's also a national sports talk host for SportsMap Radio, a network airing on 96 radio stations throughout the country. Additionally, he was a major-market host, update anchor, and producer for IMG Audio, and he worked for Bleacher Report as an NFL and NBA columnist.

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