The Atlanta Hawks needed to clamp down on defense and let it fly from deep to have a chance against the Boston Celtics in Game 2 of their first round series of the 2023 Eastern Conference Playoffs. And for much of the first quarter, they did — until the Celtics found their footing late in the frame, that is. Despite shooting far less than league average from 3 early, Boston locked up the Hawks on one end and took it to the rack on the other, slowly digging out of the 11-point hole Atlanta put them in to lead by as much as 20.
The Celtics started the third quarter better than they typically have, but Atlanta made their shots while Boston got just a tad careless and let the Hawks cut the lead to single digits going into the final frame.
The Hawks threatened to get within striking distance several times, but the Celtics came alive again late to put the game away 119-106.
Hall of Fame Boston Celtics small forward Larry Joe Bird is the stuff of NBA legend for a reason. https://t.co/3grNd8GoVe
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) April 18, 2023
Massive games from Jayson Tatum (29 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists) and Derrick White (26 points, 7 boards) secured the win with solid support from Jaylen Brown (18 points, 3 steals), Marcus Smart (14 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists), and Malcolm Brogdon (13 points, 7 boards, 8 assists).
Let’s take a look at some of the best plays captured in images from the Celtics’ Game 2 vs. the Hawks in the first round of the ’23 playoffs.
Jerseys set for Games 1 – 4 of Boston Celtics – Atlanta Hawks first round series https://t.co/n8IfQxV3Vp
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) April 15, 2023
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