76ers Playoff Watch: Trae Young, Hawks Live to Fight Another Day

The Atlanta Hawks paid a visit to the Boston Celtics on Tuesday night for the fourth matchup of their first-round series. After dropping the first two games of the series on the road, the Hawks upset the Celtics last Friday when the series returned to Atlanta.

Showing signs of life after back-to-back blowout losses at the beginning of the 2023 NBA Playoffs, the Hawks couldn’t follow up. On Sunday night, Atlanta fell short to the Celtics in Game 4.

After traveling back to Boston on Tuesday night for Game 5, the Celtics were favored to win the series and advance to the next round. In the first quarter of action, the Hawks showed a lot of fight, gaining a 30-27 lead early on.

The Celtics responded with urgency. In the second quarter, Celtics forward Jaylen Brown and the reserve Malcolm Brogdon totaled 22 points. Boston outscored the Hawks 39-28 before going into the half. Through the first half, the Celtics had a comfortable 66-58 lead.

Coming out in the second half, the Hawks and the Celtics traded 23 baskets. Boston knocked down 52 percent of their shots, with the Hawks draining 44 percent of their own. The Celtics gained a slight edge in the third quarter and led by ten points going into the fourth quarter.

The Hawks were fighting for their lives in the fourth quarter and made sure to give the Celtics a run for their money down the stretch.

Trae Young put his team on his back down the stretch of the game, hitting on 40 percent of his field goals. With six of his shots coming from beyond the arc, Young hit on three threes, with his final basket being the dagger that put the Celtics away in Game 5 with a 119-117 win.

Young finished the game with 38 points, and 13 assists in 44 minutes.

With that Hawks win, the Celtics will have to travel back to Atlanta for a Game 6.

Meanwhile, the Philadelphia 76ers will find their second-round series start date pushed back, which is good news considering the All-Star center Joel Embiid is recovering from an LCL sprain.

The Sixers will begin the second round on May 1, 2023. Whether they will play the Celtics or the Hawks remains unclear as Atlanta lives to fight another day.