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The Celtics Discuss Their Game 1 Win vs. the Hawks: 'We Can't Take Our Foot Off the Gas'
In the first half of the Celtics' 112-99 Game 1 win against the Hawks, the hosts held Atlanta to 33.3 percent shooting, including 1/16 (6.3 percent) from beyond the arc.
Frequent stops made it easier to exploit an opponent who finished 22nd in defensive rating in the regular season. While no defensive statistic accurately paints the entire picture, and teams can look different in the playoffs, that metric accurately reflects Boston's first-round opponent underachieves on defense.
Saturday, the Celtics parlayed those frequent first-half stops into 36 points in the paint. The visitors' on-ball defense provided minimal resistance. They weren't connected, and teammates offered little help to deter Boston from getting to the rim or challenging the hosts when they got to the cup. And the size of the gaps in the Hawks' defense was a running back's dream.
That two-way domination translated to an advantage that grew to 32 points.
But in the second half, Atlanta started blitzing defenders from the blindside when the Celtics caught the ball on the perimeter or close to it with their back to the basket.
Between that and Boston taking its foot off the gas, as it tends to do, the Hawks pulled within 12, 96-84, with about 9:30 left.
But the hosts immediately countered with a 6-0 run and never truly let the visitors threaten to steal this game.
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After the win, Celtics' head coach Joe Mazzulla said of the difference in his team's approach in the second half, "I just thought we lost our offensive purpose. Playing passive offense instead of keeping it moving, being aggressive, and maintaining that level of pace that we had in the first half."
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Jayson Tatum, who finished with 25 points and 11 boards, stated of Atlanta narrowing the gap from 30 to 12 in the second half, "We gotta be a little better in those situations when you have a lead like that. Human nature plays a part, but we don't want things like that to haunt us coming up," adding, "there's a lot of things we can learn from, and I'm sure the Hawks feel the same way."
"We can't take our foot off the gas," expressed Derrick White, who was outstanding in the series opener, registering 24 points, dishing out seven assists, matching Marcus Smart for a team-best, snagging five rebounds, and swatting two shots.
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Don't lose focus from the convincing nature of the Celtics' Game 1 victory, including keeping the Hawks from using their most effective runs to get within single digits.
Still, more games mean more minutes and more mileage. The defending Eastern Conference champions don't want this series lasting longer than it should and have less margin for error in any round they advance to after it, provided they stay focused and first take care of the task at hand.
Further Reading
Jaylen Brown Provides Update on Injured Shooting Hand, Opens Up About Playing Hometown Hawks
Despite the Familiarity of Title Contention, Jayson Tatum Doesn't Take Celtics' Success for Granted
The Celtics Are Pushing Robert Williams to Take His Offense to the Next Level
Jaylen Brown on His Relationship with Jayson Tatum: 'We’re a Part of Each Other’s Destiny'
