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The Celtics Give Their Evaluation of Battle on the Boards in Game 1 Win vs. Hawks
The Celtics set the tone on the first play of their 112-99 win.
From there, Boston's communication on defense, the hosts' activity, doing an excellent job protecting the three-point line -- the Hawks shot 1/16 (6.3 percent) from three-point range in the first 24 minutes -- and Dejounte Murray failing, repeatedly, to make the defending Eastern Conference champions pay for giving him open mid-range jumpers to step into, kept Atlanta to 44 first-half points.
It also led to the Celtics often exploiting the Hawks at the other end as they relentlessly attacked the rim, producing 36 points in the paint.
Boston's two-way dominance translated to an advantage that grew to 32 and a 74-44 halftime cushion.
As the Celtics acknowledged after the game, they took their foot off the gas in the second half. It resulted in nine turnovers after the break. The visitors parlayed that into 11 points, helping them get as close as 12 in the final frame.
Another key to this series is Boston's ability to limit Atlanta's second-chance points.
In the Hawks' 116-105 victory over the Heat in the play-in tournament, Atlanta grabbed 22 offensive rebounds, generating a 26-6 advantage in second-chance points.
Before Game 1 at TD Garden, when asked about balancing crashing the offensive glass vs. getting back in transition, Hawks' head coach Quin Snyder stated, "You get it and score. And then you don’t have to play transition defense."
The Celtics know they must be aware of where players are crashing the boards from and get bodies on bodies.
Saturday, Atlanta, who averaged 12.7 offensive rebounds after the All-Star break, the third-most in the league, per NBA.com, corralled 14 offensive boards. That and Boston's 17 turnovers resulted in the Hawks taking 98 shots to the hosts' 88. But they limited the damage to 12 second-chance points.
And while the hosts snagged 12 offensive rebounds, they manufactured 16 second-chance points off those added opportunities.
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After the game, Celtics' head coach Joe Mazzulla conveyed the following about the battle on the boards in Boston's series-opening win.
"If we’re minus ten on the shot margin, we have to be better at that. And that's a combination of offensive rebounds and turnovers. I thought we did a decent job at the free-throw line.
"I'd have to go back and watch the offensive rebounds we gave up. We probably gave up some offensive rebounds (off) threes that they missed. Maybe some of those were controlled tips that aren't actually field goal attempts. But at the end of the day, we have to be able to control the shot margin, and our team does that best when we don't turn it over and when we defensive rebound. And that's two things that we can really get better at, so it's a good thing."
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Jayson Tatum, who finished with 25 points and 11 boards, conveyed about the Celtics' efforts to keep the Hawks off the boards, "That's a point of emphasis. They crash the glass. They're active. They've got some long, athletic guys. So, that's something we talk about all the time...No leak outs. Everybody has to try to help out."
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Jaylen Brown, who led all scorers with 29 points, producing 18 in the paint, the most of all participants, and grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds, said of the subject, "They're young, they're athletic, and they crash hard. That's gonna be a key for us in this series."
Further Reading
The Celtics Discuss Their Game 1 Win vs. the Hawks: 'We Can't Take Our Foot Off the Gas'
Jaylen Brown Provides Update on Injured Shooting Hand, Opens Up About Playing Hometown Hawks
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'
