Inside The Celtics

Here's What Stood Out in Celtics' Game 5 Loss vs. Hawks: Boston Talks the Talk but Doesn't Walk It

The Hawks ended Game 5 on a 20-6 run, capped by Trae Young's game-winning three from 30 feet.

Bobby Krivitsky

Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
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After the Celtics' 129-121 Game 4 win, Jayson Tatum stated, "There were a few times last year where we relaxed," a sentiment he capped with, "We're trying not to make it tougher on ourselves."

But after Game 5's 119-117 loss to the Hawks, that goes down as the latest example of Boston saying the right things but not doing them.

Like in last year's NBA Finals run, this season, the defending Eastern Conference champions have had a propensity for making matters more difficult on themselves. The Celtics' playing down to sub-.500 competition is at the root of why they finished second in the East and need to go through the Sixers just to get back to the Conference Finals.

It's also manifested itself in the form of losing focus when in control of games. Sometimes, when they need to flip the switch, the lights come back on; most of the time, they don't.

That was the case Tuesday as Atlanta finished on a 20-6 run to extend the series.

Now, a deep dive into the good, the bad, and the ugly that stood out in Game 5.

1. In Game 4, Jaylen Brown scored 22 of his 31 points in the second half. Tuesday, he picked up where he left off, attacking downhill, generating 11 points in the first frame, the most in the period.

The two-time All-Star did so on 5/7 shooting, including three layups. His other buckets came on a turnaround baseline jumper and a right-corner three.

2. Starting with a pair of layups by Brown, Boston erupted for a 27-9 run, stretching most of the second quarter. Stringing together stops fueled their transition offense, helping create high-quality looks that got the Celtics in rhythm from beyond the arc after shooting 3/11 from three-point range in the first 12 minutes.

That burst took the hosts from down by five to leading by 13 with 3:13 left in the first half.

3. Boston would've entered halftime with a more sizable lead than 66-58 if not for struggling to keep the Hawks off the glass.

Atlanta parlayed five offensive rebounds into ten second-chance points in the game's first 24 minutes. The visitors also drilled 9/21 threes (42.9 percent), but they went 3/10 in the second quarter as Boston did a better job of challenging shots.

But that was the lone period the Celtics limited the damage the Hawks inflicted from behind the arc. The visitors finished the night 19/41 (46.3 percent) from three-point range, including 6/11 (54.5 percent) in the final frame.

Trae Young, who finished with a game-high 38 points, knocked down 3/6 threes in the last 12 minutes, including the game-winner from 30 feet. Bogdan Bogdanovic, who started in place of the suspended Dejounte Murray, registered 18 points on 6/9 shooting. Expect Atlanta to play him more and make sure the ball finds him on Thursday, even with Murray returning.

Regarding the Hawks' second-chance scoring, even though they only grabbed six offensive rebounds, they parlayed those into a 17-12 advantage in second-chance points. It's a point of emphasis for Boston throughout this series, and an area the team needs to do much better in Game 6.

4. A lack of resistance has doomed the Hawks throughout this series. That continued for much of Game 5 as the Celtics relentlessly attacked the rim in the first half, producing a 34-16 advantage in points in the paint, doing most of their damage from near the basket in the opening 24 minutes.

Boston manufactured 48 points in the paint through three quarters, but stopped attacking in the fourth, slowing the pace, leading to lower-quality shots and five of the hosts' nine turnovers.

5. Sam Hauser capitalized on his court time on Tuesday, providing a spark with a block that led to a breakaway jam for Jayson Tatum. He also drilled 2/4 threes and retrieved an offensive rebound that translated to a Derrick White jumper.

6. With 10:24 left in the game and Boston ahead 97-89, Joe Mazzulla brought Blake Griffin in for the first time. Upon checking in, the five-time All-NBA member received a loud pop from the TD Garden crowd. Mazzulla likely wants to get Griffin ready for potential minutes against Joel Embiid when the latter's ready to play in the next round.

The hosts tred water while Griffin was in, maintaining an eight-point lead, but Mazzulla's decision proved a misread. For a team that tends to lose focus, the head coach looking ahead, sent the wrong message.

7. Staying within eight also gave the Hawks life and kept them motivated. And with the hosts slowing the pace and committing five turnovers in the final frame, leading to ten points for Atlanta, the visitors tied the game at 111 after back-to-back threes by Trae Young. 

But at the other end, after an Al Horford attempt from the corner went in-and-out, Robert Williams snagged the miss and finished through contact. He missed the free throw, but his bucket put the hosts up by two with 2:18 left.

Atlanta took the lead, 114-113, after Young drew a foul on Al Horford that led to Tatum slamming the ball in frustration, resulting in a technical.

With 25.1 seconds left, the Celtics won a jump ball, and the four-time All-Star lofted the ball ahead to the Time Lord for an alley-oop, giving Boston a 115-114 edge.

But Marcus Smart's pressuring Young on the inbounds and diving for the ball earned him a foul that sent the latter to the line with the hosts in the bonus. Young made both free throws, putting the Hawks ahead 116-115 with 15.1 seconds to play.

Staring down the prospect a Game 6, Derrick White attacked the basket, producing a foul on Young that, after an Atlanta challenge, earned him a trip to the line. White calmly swished both shots, giving Boston a 117-116 lead with 7.3 seconds left.

The hosts only needed one more stop to advance to a second-round series against the Sixers, but Trae Young had other ideas, burying a three from 30 feet with 1.8 seconds on the clock.

Tatum had a last chance for the Celtics, but his fadeaway three came up empty, and the Hawks, who ended the game on a 20-6 run, held on for a 119-117 win, extending the series.

Up Next

Game 6 between the Celtics and Hawks is on Thursday night in Atlanta; tip-off is at 8:30 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

Celtics Praise Robert Williams for Impact in What They Deemed a Must-Win Game 4: 'Can't Even Give Words to What Rob Does on Our Team'

Jaylen Brown Discusses His Mask-Ditching Monster Performance as Celtics Push Hawks to Brink of Elimination

Jayson Tatum on Celtics' Maintaining a Must-Win Mindset: 'We're Trying Not to Make it Tougher on Ourselves'

Here's What Stood Out in Celtics' Game 4 Win vs. Hawks: Jaylen Brown's 22 Second-Half Points Propels Boston to 3-1 Series Lead

[Film Room] Derrick White's Assertiveness Leads to 26 Points, MVP Chants as Celtics Take 2-0 Lead

The Celtics Discuss Their Game 1 Win vs. the Hawks: 'We Can't Take Our Foot Off the Gas'

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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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