Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Celtics Address Game 3 Loss to Hawks: 'This One Tonight is On Me'
Friday night's game flipped in the second quarter. The Celtics entered the frame with a four-point lead and left it down seven. The Hawks scored 41 points, registering 74 in the first 24 minutes, a franchise record in one half in a playoff game.
Bogdan Bogdanovic and Saddiq Bey combining for 27 points on 10/10 shooting was the spark that ignited Atlanta's starters and the crowd at State Farm Arena.
That set the stage for the Hawks' backcourt to take over in the fourth quarter, as Trae Young and Dejounte Murray accounted for 20 of the hosts' last 21 points and 22 of the team's 30 in the final frame.
Young finished with a game-high 32 points, plus nine assists, six rebounds, and two blocks. Murray registered 25 points, six rebounds, and five assists.
The comforts of home also helped the Hawks finally find their shooting rhythm after failing to do so in Boston. They made 56 percent of their field goals, including 15/34 (44.1 percent) of their threes.
Conversely, after knocking down 15 shots from beyond the arc in the first half, a franchise postseason record for one half, the Celtics went 6/23 (26.1 percent) from three-point range in the second.
After the game, they said they were happy with their shots, and they produced 30 points in the paint to Atlanta's 20 in the final two quarters. It's fair for Boston to cite the cliche, "It's a make-or-miss league," and highlight the other areas it needed to be better, like giving up 54 points in the paint and 23 on second-chance opportunities.
And in the final frame, the visitors got within three on multiple occasions, including with 1:29 left. They then got a stop, and Jayson Tatum had a clean look at a three from the right wing in transition, but the shot clanged off the back rim.
Following the Hawks putting the finishing touches on their 130-122 win, Tatum stated, "I've got to play better. I think I had some timely turnovers, especially some reads at the rim, maybe try and get fouled, where I've got to do a better job of making decisions in some of those moments just in timely situations, so this one tonight is on me."
Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
The four-time All-Star, whose 29 points and ten rebounds were team bests, which he paired with five assists and two steals, but also matched Trae Young for a game-high four turnovers, later expressed, "I get a lot of credit when we win, and (I've) got to take the blame when we lose, rightfully so. (I've) got to play better, (I've) got to make some better decisions in some of those moments, and I will. I ain't think we were gonna win every game in the playoffs."
Tatum added, "I'm extremely motivated, confident, that we're gonna play better next game."
Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Jaylen Brown, who finished with 15 points and matched Marcus Smart for a game-high three steals, conveyed, "They came out and played a good game; now we've got to come out and respond. Look to steal one, and look to take one, and then look to go back home and finish things off.
"We've just got to come out and play to the level we need to. And I think that we took their best punch; I don't think we played as well as we could've played, and we still were in the game. So, ultimately had chances to win."
As the Celtics anticipated, the series' shifting to Atlanta brought out the best in the Hawks. But after the hosts hit hardest on Friday, Joe Mazzulla wants his team to "throw one back" in Game 4.
Further Reading
The Hawks Hit Hardest in Game 3, Now, Joe Mazzulla Wants Celtics to 'Throw One Back'
Ime Udoka 'Serious Candidate' to Become Head Coach of Celtics' Division Rival
Malcolm Brogdon Discusses Winning Sixth Man of the Year: 'I'm In a Really Good Situation'
[Film Room] Derrick White's Assertiveness Leads to 26 Points, MVP Chants as Celtics Take 2-0 Lead
The Celtics Discuss Their Game 1 Win vs. the Hawks: 'We Can't Take Our Foot Off the Gas'
