For the first time since their 115-109 loss to the Denver Nuggets on March 7, the Boston Celtics started the game with their starting lineup intact on Thursday night at State Farm Arena.
Jrue Holiday made his comeback after missing five games due to a strain of his right AC joint. The other half of Boston’s backcourt, Derrick White, also known as “The Stock Exchange,” did not play in Monday’s 120-118 loss against the Atlanta Hawks, as the C’s blew a 30-point lead in the first game of this two-game miniseries.
In the second half of that defeat, the visitors shot a dismal 1/15 from outside the arc, a cold streak that continued into Monday’s game. In the first frame, they shot 1/15 from three-point range.
In order to counter that, they kept feeding Kristaps Porzingis, who finished the first quarter with 12 points, matching Dejounte Murray for the most. The Celtics were able to generate 20 points from inside the paint thanks to his efforts.
That production was matched by the hosts. Though Boston’s on-ball defense offered little opposition on drives, it was evident that the goal was to restrict Atlanta’s influence from beyond the arc, particularly after the Hawks made 11/19 (57.9 percent) of their long-range shots in the game’s last 24 minutes.
Maintaining a 29-28 lead entering the second quarter was largely dependent on the C’s limiting the hosts to 2/8 from three-point range, with those stops assisting in an 8-0 advantage in fast-break points, and only committing one turnover.
For the second straight quarter, Atlanta scored 20 points in the paint, and the Celtics’ on-ball defense continued to be an issue. In addition, the Hawks converted eight offensive rebounds for thirteen points on second chances.
They did, however, go 3/9 from behind the arc. On the other hand, the visitors established a rhythm and made 5 out of 7 triples that they attempted.
The officiating did not sit well with either side. This includes the moment that Jaylen Brown was called for a dubious third foul on a play that ignored the fact that Garrison Matthews was still moving his feet and had not been set in time, even after Boston contested the call.
In the second quarter, Trae Young, who had dressed casually for the game on Thursday, was given a technical foul. Bogdan Bogdanovic also received one.
Jayson Tatum was able to find his rhythm with the help of those technicals and more assertiveness. During the second quarter, the five-time All-Star scored the most points (12) with 3/6 field goals and 5/6 free-throw attempts.
