Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Here's What Stood Out in Celtics' Game 6 Win vs. Hawks: Boston Delivers Late Haymaker, are on to a Date with the Sixers
The longer the series went on, the more comfortable and confident the Hawks got. But as valiantly as they fought, rallying for a Game 5 win at TD Garden and nearly forcing a Game 7 on the parquet, the Celtics saved their best stretch in Thursday night's tilt for the end.
Jaylen Brown, who delivered a game-high 32 points, kept Boston in a back-and-forth contest, setting the stage for an 11-0 run in crunch time, as the defending Eastern Conference champions' core four carried the visitors to a second-round series against the Sixers.
There's plenty of time to examine that matchup before it begins on Monday at TD Garden, but before that, Game 6 was too good not to unpack, starting with a deep dive into what stood out in the Celtics' 128-120 win.
1. Wanting to atone for his role in the Celtics' fourth-quarter collapse in Game 5, Marcus Smart got off to an excellent start Thursday night, registering nine points on 3/4 shooting, dishing out two assists, grabbing two offensive rebounds, and picking off an entry pass into the post.
Smart was flying around the court at both ends to start the game. He was at the center of Boston's jumping out to a 14-4 lead.
2. With the Celtics, playing with one big man on the floor, getting worked on the glass in the first frame, Joe Mazzulla called Grant Williams' number. Sam Hauser's done well with his opportunities since missing the two shots he hoisted in Game 1, but the former Tennessee Volunteer brings spacing and can help on the boards.
The visitors surrendered six offensive rebounds leading to eight second-chance points in the first 12 minutes. To their credit, they also parlayed three of the former into six of the latter, mitigating the damage of their hard time limiting Atlanta to one shot per possession.
3. The Hawks took flight in the second quarter, converting swarming defense into points in transition. The combination fueled an 11-4 run that helped the hosts pull ahead by seven, their largest lead of the first half.
While Joe Mazzulla often challenging his team to play through adversity has been a subject of much debate in his first season at the helm, the first-year bench boss wisely hit the pause button after that burst by Atlanta.
Shortly after getting time to regroup, Boston struck back with a 13-2 run, with stops allowing the Celtics to play up-tempo as they recaptured their rhythm offensively, evidenced by Jaylen Brown drilling three shots from beyond the arc during that stretch, helping the visitors take a 68-67 edge into halftime.
4. Brown entered the break with a team-high 18 points on 7/15 shooting, including making four of six shots from three-point range.
Jayson Tatum registered 16 points, making 6/12 field goal attempts. His seven rebounds led all participants after 24 minutes, and his four assists were a team-high at the half.
Trae Young led all scorers with 25 points in the first two quarters, again carving up Boston's drop coverage. He's exceptional at orchestrating the pick-and-roll, getting to his floater, or setting up the roller for the lob and two points at the rim.
The star guard, far more confident than at the start of the series, also put on an impressive display of shot-making, knocking down 8/15 field goal attempts, including 4/8 threes.
The Hawks shot the ball well as a team, burying 9/23 (39.1 percent) threes in the first half. The Celtics typically do an outstanding job protecting the perimeter but must make Atlanta more uncomfortable in the final two frames.
5. In a third quarter where Boston gave up four offensive rebounds, leading to an 11-0 Hawks' advantage in second-chance points, Mazzulla went small for the final 1:13, deploying Grant Williams at the five.
Unfortunately for the visitors, that backfired as Onyeka Okongwu went over the Celtics' undersized center for an offensive rebound and a put-back through contact; he missed the ensuing free throw, but Okongwu's bucket gave Atlanta a 100-98 edge entering the final 12 minutes.
But Robert Williams returned to the lineup to start the fourth quarter, bumping Boston's other Williams to the four. There, the latter shined defensively, showing off his intelligence and versatility, and he picked off a John Collins pass and earned a plus-six plus-minus rating in a period he didn't score.
6. Speaking of Collins, the Celtics were willing to live with him taking open threes for most of this series. But in Game 5, he produced 22 points on 9/18 shooting, converting on 4/9 threes.
That changed the calculus Thursday, exemplified by Al Horford flying out to Collins as he drilled a three from the right wing with 7:55 remaining, putting the hosts ahead 109-108.
A more comfortable and impactful Collins finished the night with 16 points on 6/8 shooting, drilling 3/4 threes.
7. Boston saved its best stretch for the end of Game 6, staging an 11-0 run that propelled the visitors across the finish line.
It started with Brown knocking down that pull-up three from the right wing in Dejounte Murray's face. Then, when the Hawks sent two defenders at Tatum, he got the ball to Smart, who went to the rim, drawing multiple members of the opposition, before kicking it to Horford for a corner three.
Then, it was Tatum's turn, as he buried a step-back from beyond the arc, giving the Celtics a 119-113 edge with 2:44 left.
Brown then stuffed a Murray dunk attempt, preserving a six-point lead that Tatum added to with a put-back slam at the other end.
The Hawks didn't go quietly, but that burst proved the knockout blow, helping Boston close out Game 6 and the series with a 128-120 victory.
8. Essential ingredients in the Celtics' win were limiting Young to three free throws in the second half, only committing two turnovers in the final two frames, and they gave up only one offensive rebound and three second-chance points in the fourth quarter.
Their performance on the margins was crucial to taking 23 shots to Atlanta's 18 in the final 12 minutes, holding the hosts to 20 points, and generating 30 at the other end to advance to the second round of the playoffs.
9. Al Horford played a significant part in the outcome swinging in Boston's favor in the fourth quarter. The Celtics' elder statesman finished with ten points, 12 rebounds, four assists, three blocks, and two steals. Like his team, he was at his best in the final frame.
Horford checked in at the 8:45 mark, with the game tied at 106. He quickly made an impact, cleaning up a missed layup by Brown. Seven of the former Florida Gator's 12 rebounds came in the last period.
He also knocked down the corner three highlighted earlier and had a steal and a block. Beyond the stats, Horford helped calm his team defensively. And the shot he drilled from beyond the arc to give Boston a 116-113 lead reflects his ability to consistently meet the moment, which is crucial to his team's winning at a high level.
10. Lastly, Malcolm Brogdon deserves recognition for his Game 6 performance. His back-to-back buckets at the start of the fourth quarter and assisting on a Brown layup got the Celtics off to a good start in the final frame. And the Atlanta native registered 17 points, four assists, and no turnovers in 29 minutes.
Up Next
The Celtics are on to a second-round series against the Philadelphia 76ers. Game 1 is Monday at TD Garden. Inside The Celtics will have content related to the game before, during, and afterward. And follow @BobbyKrivitsky on Twitter for updates and analysis from pregame to post.
Further Reading
Jayson Tatum Shares His Perspective on Bucks' First-Round Exit
Film Room: Roots of Celtics' Game 5 Fourth Quarter Collapse
Here's What Stood Out in Celtics' Game 5 Loss vs. Hawks: Boston Talks the Talk but Doesn't Walk It
[Film Room] Derrick White's Assertiveness Leads to 26 Points, MVP Chants as Celtics Take 2-0 Lead
