As is often the case with early afternoon matches in the United States, the level of play was far from flamboyant at the start of the match. Ball losses and bad choices accumulate, and above all there is no rhythm.
In this (bad) game, Atlanta is doing the best thanks to the successes from afar of Trae Young and a motivated Bogdan Bogdanovic. At the break, there is thus +10 (45-55) for the visitors but everything will change when they return from the locker room, with a De’Andre Hunter who takes four fouls in two minutes (!) and Boston who plants a 12- 0 to equalize.
The Celtics are relying on their strong defense and a great Jayson Tatum to break a season high for points scored in a quarter, and head for another win.
Nevertheless, everything is not yet settled on the offensive plan for the troop of Ime Udoka, and the Hawks manage to pick up at -6 (97-91) in the “money-time”. The heist is still possible but Atlanta does not have the collective weapons to overthrow Boston, which kills the game on the offensive rebound (105-95).
WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER
– A bad start. The first half, and especially the first quarter, will not go down in history. Lots of ball losses, bad transmissions and generally questionable choices, on both sides. Apart from a few individual eclairs, there wasn’t much to get your teeth into.
– A 3rd Quarter that changes everything. Is it De’Andre Hunter’s four fouls in two minutes or just the Celtics waking up? In any case, the return from the locker room has completely changed the momentum. Boston found rhythm, and address (4/20 to 3-points in the first half…), behind Jayson Tatum, tipping the game by going from -10 (45-55) at the entrance of the quarter at +9 (87-78) at the exit.
– A clear and solid rotation for Boston. Boston’s trade deadline has drawn a perhaps smaller but extremely consistent rotation for Ime Udoka. While waiting for Daniel Theis, the coach can thus count on 7 to 8 players who do not lower the defensive intensity.
TOPS/FLOPS
✅ Jayson Tatum. Boston always relies on his talent to make a difference. When there is no rhythm, it can give frozen sequences but when it revolves around him, we see passages like in this third quarter, where the Celtics can win their opponents.
✅ Bogdan Bogdanovic. Trae Young finished with a big double-double (30 points, 10 assists) but 9/26 shooting and it was his Serbian teammate who was actually the most effective Hawk of the evening (26 points, 6 rebounds). The problem is that the game of the Hawks depends too much on individuals.
✅ Derrick White. The sample is weak but the former Spur looks very much like the ideal rookie for the Celtics. Off the bench, he defends and serves as a second creator, being able to take advantage of the first shift to make the small pass that offers a better shot. Always at the service of the collective.
⛔ Jaylen Brown He was not the most clumsy in this great contest of missed shots but he is the one who gave the most the impression of forcing. With his 6/16 shooting and his 4 stray bullets, he helped revive the Hawks in the fourth quarter, even if Atlanta ultimately did nothing.
THE FOLLOWING
Boston (33-25) : big challenge on Tuesday, with a trip to Joel Embiid’s Sixers…
Atlanta (26-30) : it’s getting tense for the Hawks, who host the Cavaliers on Tuesday night
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