Inside The Celtics

Here's What Stood Out in Celtics' Game 1 Win vs. Hawks: Championship-Caliber Defense Propels Hosts in Series Opener

In the series opener between the Celtics and Hawks, the hosts delivered a first-half haymaker that Mike Tyson would be proud of. Boston built a 30-point

Bobby Krivitsky

Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports
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In the series opener between the Celtics and Hawks, the hosts delivered a first-half haymaker that Mike Tyson would be proud of.

Boston built a 30-point cushion and led 74-44 after 24 minutes. And while Atlanta got off the canvas, parlaying nine second-half turnovers by the Celtics into 11 points, helping get within 12 early in the final frame, the defending Eastern Conference champions never let the visitors seriously threaten to steal Game 1.

Jaylen Brown led all scorers with 29 points in the win, producing 18 points in the paint, the most of all participants, including a thunderous second-quarter slam. He also grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds.

The two-time All-Star went to the locker room in the first half after he split open his lacerated right hand. But he stated it was fine multiple times post-game. Asked if he requires new stitches, Brown said he thinks it's alright, but they'll look at it tomorrow.

Jayson Tatum finished with 25 points and 11 boards. Boston also got an outstanding performance from Derrick White. He registered 24 points and dished out seven assists, matching Marcus Smart for a team-best. He also snagged five rebounds and swatted two shots.

Along with what Smart brings as the Celtics' floor general, he also did an outstanding job as a point-of-attack defender and the quarterback of the defense.

Smart had a lot to do with why Trae Young finished with 16 points on 18 shots and committed five turnovers in defeat and why the Hawks scored 25 points or fewer in three of four quarters.

Now, a deep dive into what stood out in Boston's Game 1 win.

1. The atmosphere in the building was electric. The crowd provided an infusion of energy that added to the Celtics' intensity; credit to the hosts for utilizing that as fuel rather than allowing it to take from their focus.

2. Boston was outstanding defensively from the opening tip and did an excellent job executing and sticking with its game plan at that end.

The Celtics repeatedly invited Dejounte Murray to take mid-range jumpers, and he couldn't make them pay. For the most part, he didn't try to create something else in those situations, either, attempting one after another. Murray finished with 24 points, but it required a team-high 25 shots. No one else on the Hawks took 20.

Between that, consistently generating quality shots offensively and their activity and communication, playing on a string, the defending Eastern Conference champions held Atlanta to 19 points in the first frame and 44 in the first half.

The visitors shot 33.3 percent from the field through two quarters and went 1/16 (6.3 percent) from beyond the arc. They scored 25 points or fewer in three of four periods.

The Hawks shot 38.8 percent from the floor, including 5/29 (17.2 percent) from three-point range in the loss.

3. Consistently generating stops helped Boston maintain an up-tempo approach. Atlanta likes playing at a fast pace too, which helps. But primarily, it was the Celtics' defense fueling their ability to quickly get into their offense and exploit openings to produce 54 points in the paint, including 36 in the first half.

4. Before the game, when asked about balancing crashing the offensive glass vs. getting back in transition, Hawks' head coach Quin Snyder stated, "You get it and score. And then you don’t have to play transition defense."

Keeping Atlanta off the boards is one of the keys to this series for Boston. In the first half, the hosts gave up eight offensive rebounds, but overall, they did well recognizing where the visitors were crashing the glass from and getting bodies on bodies. They also minimized the damage to five second-chance points.

In the second half, the Celtics shaved it to six offensive boards for the Hawks, who parlayed those into seven second-chance points. But given the latter outshot the former 98-88, post-game head coach Joe Mazzulla expressed, "If we’re minus ten on the shot margin, we have to do better than that."

5. Robert Williams quickly made his presence felt in the series opener, emphatically rejecting a Jalen Johnson layup attempt and causing players on Atlanta to think twice as they entered the paint, sometimes resulting in turnovers from players deciding not to shoot, including Trae Young, who has a reliable floater and a cunning ability to draw fouls.

And for as much of a lob threat as the Time Lord is, the Celtics made an effort to limit those during the regular season. But in their playoff opener, they didn't hesitate to do so.

He finished with 12 points on 6/6 shooting, all layups and dunks, and grabbed eight rebounds in 22 minutes.

6. Mazzulla opted to bring Sam Hauser off the bench over Grant Williams. The decision was rooted in prioritizing shooting rather than the more well-rounded nature of the latter's game.

Hauser got one look from beyond the arc, a clean shot from the right corner, but it drew iron and missed the mark. After his 4:14 stint in the first frame, he did not return until Boston led 91-67 with 3:03 left in the third quarter.

Hauser ended the game 0/2 from the field and logged 11 minutes. He and Williams are competing for playing time this postseason, so it'll be interesting to see how much they earn.

Even with the latter a DNP-CD, the former only has so many misses before he starts receiving fewer opportunities. A change could occur as early as Game 2.

7. With the Hawks needing to dig out of a double-digit hole in the second half, they started sending a second defender from the blind side when someone on Boston had the ball on the perimeter with his back to the defense. Those turnovers helped Atlanta generate 18 points in the paint in the third frame.

That, coupled with what the sizable advantage did to the hosts' focus, had a lot to do with the visitors narrowing the gap to 12, 96-84, with about 9:30 left.

But a quick 6-0 burst by the Celtics, featuring a Brown layup, Malcolm Brogdon baseline jumper, and Brown retrieving his miss and converting it into a layup, extended the lead to 102-84 with 8:10 left, thwarting the Hawks' best chance of stealing the game.

Seventeen turnovers are too many and resulted in 19 points for the visitors. Ball security is paramount to not letting this series last longer than it appears it should and could prove more costly in later rounds. It's important to prioritize it regardless of time and score.

Still, the Celtics did what they needed to and ensured they started the playoffs on the right foot.

Up Next

Game 2 between the Celtics and Hawks tips off Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. EST. Inside The Celtics will have content related to the game before, during, and afterward. And follow @BobbyKrivitsky on Twitter for updates and analysis from pregame to post.

Further Reading

NBA Announces Celtics-Hawks Full First-Round Series Schedule

Jaylen Brown Provides Update on Injured Shooting Hand, Opens Up About Playing Hometown Hawks

Despite the Familiarity of Title Contention, Jayson Tatum Doesn't Take Celtics' Success for Granted

The Celtics Are Pushing Robert Williams to Take His Offense to the Next Level

Joe Mazzulla and Brad Stevens Discuss How the Celtics' Head Coach Has Grown in His First Year at the Helm: 'He's Been a Great Strength for Us'

Jayson Tatum is Ready for the Challenges that Await the Celtics in the Playoffs: 'We've Not Been Waiting for it But Working for it'

Jaylen Brown Shares What Winning the Red Auerbach Award Means to Him: 'I've Put My Everything Into This Team, I've Put My Everything Into This City'

Jaylen Brown on His Relationship with Jayson Tatum: 'We’re a Part of Each Other’s Destiny'

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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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