The Boston Celtics defeated the Atlanta Hawks 112-99 Saturday afternoon, grabbing a big Game 1 victory to open the first round of the playoffs. From start to finish, the Celtics were decidedly the better team, with a positively dominant showing on both sides of the ball.
Jaylen Brown led the way with 29 points and 12 rebounds, but in reality the entire team in green was dialed in. Boston took a 74-44 lead at halftime, a metric of how particularly lopsided this game really was. This marks head coach Joe Mazzulla’s first postseason win as a head coach in the NBA.
Saturday was One Boston Day, a chance to honor the tenth anniversary of the Boston Marathon Bombing. The Celtics wore blue and yellow warmups to commemorate the day, making a nice playoff victory a little more special. Here’s what you may have missed from Game 1.
Joe Mazzulla honored One Boston Day and the anniversary of the Boston Marathon Bombing ahead of Saturday’s action between the Celtics and Hawks. https://t.co/zIIlGNdPvN
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) April 15, 2023
Boston's offense
The Celtics offense was especially active Saturday. Boston pushed the tempo and was disciplined in making the right extra pass. As a whole, the club logged 25 assists, an important compliment to a strong 39.4% shooting performance from 3.
Along with a big outing from Brown, the Celtics built a massive lead with balanced scoring. Jayson Tatum had 25 points and 11 rebounds, while Derrick White finished with 24 points, 5 rebounds, and 7 assists. All told, five of Mazzulla’s guys scored 11 or more points.
Boston’s offense took a bit of a snooze in the second half after laying it on thick early, and this Celtics team can occasionally look asleep at the wheel. Still, the scoring outburst we saw here should be especially worrisome for Hawks fans.
Is the Boston Celtics – Atlanta Hawks first round series going to be a short one? https://t.co/5dcyyS38I2
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) April 15, 2023
Boston's defense
Defense was the real story here. Boston was extremely effective in making things difficult for Atlanta, particularly in the paint. A 58-45 Celtics advantage on the glass only partially tells the story.
Having a healthy Robert Williams III is a very big deal for the Celtic. He gives Boston an added element of athleticism and explosiveness on both ends. Williams had 12 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block on the afternoon. Marcus Smart and Al Horford were also menaces on the defensive end while providing crucial scoring.
The Hawks did have an unbelievably cold night from distance. Atlanta shot 17.2% on 3-pointers, and though Boston was bothersome on the perimeter, the Hawks shot themselves out of this one.
Pending the outcome of complicated protections, the Celtics should see themselves with a valuable second-round pick. https://t.co/5O3cBkQuTA
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) April 15, 2023
Looking ahead
Game 2 of this series will be in Boston on Tuesday. The Celtics will undoubtably look to capitalize on such a loud victory, and it’s unlikely Joe Mazzulla will proactively make any adjustments.
Instead, look for the Hawks to try and find easier looks from distance. Likewise, Atlanta will need to come up with new ways to limit Boston’s transition offense. They seemed unwilling or unable to compete in any sort of track meet Saturday afternoon.
The Celtics are heavily favored in the series and have been an excellent home team all season long. Boston looks to have a pretty good chance to go up 2-0 on the series.
The funniest moments from Boston Celtics’ interviews in the 2022-23 season https://t.co/47n2hVCHt4
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) April 15, 2023
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