How To Watch NBA Playoffs First-Round: Celtics at Hawks Game 3
The 2022-23 NBA regular season has come to an end and with the Play-In Tournament coming to an end, it is officially time for the playoffs to begin!
On Friday night, the first-round series between the Atlanta Hawks and Boston Celtics will continue, as the two teams will meet in Atlanta for Game 3.
Nothing has been easy for the Hawks in this series against the Celtics and their offense has looked very rushed and very dysfunctional.
Boston’s defense deserves a lot of credit for this, but the Hawks are not helping themselves with 27 total turnovers thus far. Not to mention, they are taking tough shots and they really need to get their perimeter game going, as the Hawks are shooting just 21-77 from beyond-the-arc, which is only 27.3 percent.
Whether it is John Collins, De’Andre Hunter, Saddiq Bey or someone else, the Hawks are really needing secondary production outside of Trae Young and Dejounte Murray.
For the Celtics, they are looking like the best team in the playoffs and they look like a team that is on a mission. Coming up short in the NBA Finals a season ago, Boston is motivated to win the Eastern Conference yet again and they seem to be on a collision course with the East Semifinals right now.
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have both played their roles as the superstars on this team, the Celtics’ defense has been stifling as mentioned above and Derrick White is emerging into the third star on this roster.
Getting it done on both ends of the floor, White has been everything the Celtics have wanted him to be and has expanded the way this team can play on both ends of the floor.
On their home floor, can the Hawks find any bit of momentum to get them going in this series or will the Celtics take a dominant 3-0 lead?
Here's how to watch Friday’s game, with game time and TV, lineups, bios and other must-know details.
How to watch Celtics vs. Hawks
WHO: Boston Celtics (2-0) vs. Atlanta Hawks (0-2)
WHAT: 2023 NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs: First-Round, Game 3
WHEN: 7:00 p.m. ET, Friday, April 21
WHERE: State Farm Arena, Atlanta, Georgia
TV: ESPN
Key Stats & Facts For Celtics vs. Hawks
- The Hawks and Celtics faced off three times during the regular season with the Celtics winning all three games, outscoring the Hawks by 40 points.
- The Celtics finished the regular season ranking 2nd in offensive rating and 3rd in defensive rating, while the Hawks finished the regular season ranking 7th in offensive rating and 22nd in defensive rating.
- Atlanta is 24-17 at home this season and Boston is 25-16 on the road.
What Happened In Game 2?
April 18, 2023 - Celtics 119, Hawks 106
Getting 29 points from Jayson Tatum and 26 points from Derrick White, the Celtics were able to come away with another easy win over the Hawks on their home floor. Tatum recorded his second consecutive double-double against Atlanta and Malcolm Brogdon, the 2022-23 NBA Sixth Man of the Year, had a very quiet but productive night off-the-bench with 13 points, 7 rebounds and 8 assists. Atlanta shot just 33.3 percent from three-point range in Game 2 and despite Trae Young and Dejounte Murray combining for 53 points, they were unable to capture any real momentum. The Hawks also turned the ball over 15 times, resulting in 14 points for the Celtics.
Latest Injury News:
Celtics Injuries: Danilo Gallinari (knee) - Out
Hawks Injuries: NONE
Projected Starters:
PROJECTED CELTICS STARTERS:
- G Marcus Smart, 6-3 guard: 11.5 points, 6.3 assists
- G Derrick White, 6-4 guard: 12.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists
- G/F Jaylen Brown, 6-6 guard/forward: 26.6 points, 6.9 rebounds
- F Jayson Tatum, 6-8 forward, 6-7 forward: 30.1 points, 8.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists
- F/C Al Horford, 6-9 forward/center: 9.8 points, 6.2 rebounds
PROJECTED HAWKS STARTERS:
- G Trae Young, 6-1 guard: 26.2 points, 10.2 assists (2022-23 season stats)
- G Dejounte Murray, 6-4 guard: 20.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 6.1 assists
- F De’Andre Hunter, 6-8 forward: 15.4 points, 4.2 rebounds
- F John Collins, 6-9 forward: 13.1 points, 6.5 rebounds
- C Clint Capela, 6-10 center: 12.0 points, 11.0 rebounds
Betting Odds:
- The Celtics are currently 5.5-point favorites over the Hawks as of Friday morning, according to SI Sportsbook.
- The over/under for this matchup is currently set at 228.5 total points.
What to watch for:
- The Boston Celtics have made the playoffs for the ninth consecutive season, reaching the NBA Finals a season ago.
- The Atlanta Hawks have made the playoffs for the third consecutive season, losing in the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021.
- Boston is 51-12 this season when they score at least 110 points. Atlanta is 39-23 this season when they score at least 110 points, including the playoffs.
- The Celtics and Hawks have played a total of 73 playoff games and 12 playoff series all-time. Boston is 44-29 against Atlanta in the postseason and they are 10-2 against the Hawks in playoff series.
Be sure to catch up on the newest episode of The Fast Break Podcast hosted by Fastbreak's own Brett Siegel!
Streaming on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, The Fast Break Podcast takes you inside the league with the latest news, intel, rumors and interviews from those close to the action for all 30 teams. Be on the lookout for a new episodes every Friday.
