Defeated in the last match, the Celtics approach the meeting with seriousness thanks in particular to Derrick White, author of already 10 points (19-11). Atlanta is overtaken by a Boston team that keeps its foot on the accelerator constantly from the start (31-18). At the end of the 1st quarter, Joe Mazzulla’s men have a ten-point lead (35-25).
Despite multiple attempts, the Hawks are struggling to close the gap, the fault of a Celtics team still as applied (48-37). Atlanta will finally manage to set the room on fire, and ignite the match. On a 3-point shot, John Collins brings his team to just six points (53-47). But Jayson Tatum’s teammates will better negotiate the last possessions of the second quarter to return to the locker room with a twelve-point lead (65-53).
Returning from the locker room, the Hawks show a much more conquering face, and come back to within five points of their opponent (72-67). But now, Quin Snyder’s men fail to come back into contact, and they are kept two or three possessions from the Celtics each time. At the start of the 4th quarter, Boston leads 92-87.
Serious and diligent, Jayson Tatum and his band take matters into their own hands, and widen the gap again (108-98). Three minutes from the end, the Celtics lead by seven points (113-106). Jayson Tatum then Jaylen Brown put an end to the hopes of the Hawks with two consecutive 3-point baskets. Boston wins 129-121, and leads 3-1 in the series.
WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER
– The Celtics do the job. We had to take at least one of the two games in Atlanta for Joe Mazzulla’s men, it’s done. After losing in Game 3, Boston reacted with style on the Hawks floor. Dominating from the start, the Celtics took the advantage very early in the game with a controlled first quarter. The rest of the match was managed perfectly since their opponent never managed to come back to equality even once. With a 3-1 advantage, they will therefore have the opportunity to conclude the series at TD Garden.
– The Hawks so close, so far. Weighed down by a poor quality first quarter, Atlanta ran behind the score throughout the game. On several occasions, Quin Snyder’s men have nevertheless managed to get closer to the Celtics, returning to 3 or 4 points. But each time, Boston managed to put this boost back to push the gap to around 10 points. To tell the truth, there was no photo, in the control and in the crucial moments, the Celtics were a notch above.
TOPS/FLOPS
✅ The Tatum/Brown duo. They each put up 31 points to win this series-twisting game.
✅Derrick White. Powerful X factor for the Celtics this season, he again had a very clean game with 18 points at 50% shooting including 4 of 9 from 3-pointers.
✅Marcus Smart. Uncertain before the start of the game, he still delivered a quality performance with 19 points at 8/14 shooting. Added to that, its very important defensive impact.
✅Robert Williams. He dominated in the racket with a solid double-double: 13 points and 15 rebounds.
✅ De’Andre Hunter. Huge match on his part with 27 points at 11/17 shooting including 3/6 from 3-pointers!
✅ Trae Young. He achieved an XXL performance with 35 points and 15 assists!
⛔️John Collins. Nightmarish evening for him with only 1 in 9 shots.
THE FOLLOWING
Game 5 in Boston, on the night of Tuesday to Wednesday (1h30).
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How to read the stats? Min = Minutes; Shots = Shots made / Shots attempted; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; O = offensive rebound; D= defensive rebound; T = Total Bounces; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost bullets; Ct: Counters; +/- = Point differential when the player is on the field; Points = Points; Eval: player evaluation calculated from positive actions – negative actions.
