Celtics don’t fizzle despite late fireworks
Smart ejected late, but Boston holds on
After taking control for most of the game, the Celtics certainly did not make things easy for themselves late on Saturday night in Atlanta.
Boston’s worst habits that started its post-break slide came into view. Their double-digit lead was sliced down to an uncomfortable margin, and their inability to keep opponents off the offensive glass continued. Then, Marcus Smart was inexplicably ejected with less than 90 seconds to go after a skirmish with Trae Young.
But unlike their pitfalls from their three-game skid earlier this month, the Celtics never cratered or succumbed to their lategame struggles. It wasn’t nearly perfect, but the C’s had enough answers down the stretch to hold off the Hawks for a 134-125 victory to kick off their sixgame road trip.
Jayson Tatum had another special night with 34 points, 15 rebounds and six assists, and Jaylen Brown scored 24 points to lead six Celtics in double-figure scoring. Young had 35 points and 13 assists to lead the Hawks, who could be a potential first-round playoff opponent next month.
Given the fireworks late on Saturday, that could be an entertaining series.
The Celtics led by eight with 1:25 left when the altercation between Smart and Young happened. Young appeared to have a three-point play after driving by Smart, but seemed to inadvertently kick the Celtics guard in the groin while taking the shot. But Smart took issue with Young, seemingly thinking the Hawks guard kicked him on purpose.
Smart approached Young and the two went face-to-face before both crashing to the floor. After a long video review, the two guards were assessed double technical fouls but Smart was ejected.
In an interview with a pool reporter after the game, crew chief Sean Wright said Smart “was ejected for the grab and take down of Trae Young.” Wright said Young received a technical foul for getting up and pointing his finger in Smart’s face but that his actions did not rise to the level of an ejection.
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla told reporters in Atlanta that he hadn’t seen a full replay of what led to Smart’s ejection, but he wasn’t frustrated that some composure had been lost after the C’s held their poise well in the face of Atlanta’s near comeback.
“It’s part of it,” Mazzulla said. “You have to navigate in the chaos.”
Young’s shot before the skirmish didn’t count but he made two free throws to cut the Celtics’ lead to six. After Tatum missed a 3-pointer, the Hawks had multiple chances to make it a one-possession game. But after they grabbed two offensive rebounds, Al Horford blocked John Collins’ layup, and then Tatum found Malcolm Brogdon for a breakaway layup that sealed the win.
“We get some adversity there. Not ideal,” Horford told reporters of Smart’s ejection. “But as a group, we have to regroup. We have to get it together and we have to move on. We can’t have him be in those positions and do that. It puts us in a tough place. But it doesn’t matter what it is, we have to be able to keep it moving. And we did that tonight.”
The Celtics were once again dominated on the offensive glass. The Hawks came down with 13 offensive rebounds, which led to 20 second-chance points and ignited their comeback effort. But the C’s didn’t let that affect them on the offensive end, where they had one of their most effective nights since the early portion of the season.
The last time Boston visited Atlanta, in November, the C’s were in the midst of their hot start to the season that was fueled by a dominant offense. Saturday, they issued a reminder of how potent they can be even if it’s cooled off lately. The Celtics finished with 35 assists, tied for their second-highest mark of the season.
Like that meeting in November, Saturday was a numbers game. The Celtics (52-for-95) and Hawks (50-for-100) shot similarly from the field, but Boston again had the superior edge in 3-point shooting. They went 20-for-42 from deep as they continuously got great looks, while the Hawks finished 10-for-34 from long range.
After a hot offensive start for both teams that featured 14 lead changes, the Celtics gained separation in the second quarter with an 18-2 run. They led by as many as 16 in the period, and they rode that cushion for the rest of the night.
“Our shot selection and turnovers managed the entire game,” Mazzulla told reporters. “We kept them out of transition, we kept them off the free-throw line and we were able to get a great shot every single time down and that’s a testament to our guys’ organization and execution. That’s when we’re at our best and we have to continue that, and then we have to clean up the rebounding piece.”
The Celtics earned big contributions from their second unit, which continued to feature Blake Griffin instead of Grant Williams, who didn’t play for a second time this month and continued to fall out of the rotation. But Griffin proved deserving of his spot with his typical hustle plays. He had three offensive rebounds, drew a charge and made several defensive plays, including a big block to end the third quarter that fired up his teammates, as he helped the Celtics maintain their advantage.
The C’s have responded well since their threegame losing streak and Saturday included several encouraging signs. They ended quarters well — which has been an emphasis from Mazzulla — and they didn’t succumb to adversity, which they’ve struggled with.
“Staying a little more poised and continuing to execute and continuing to play through,” Horford said. “We went through a little obviously, some games that we gave games away and we lost our composure a little bit. I feel like the last couple, we’ve been very conscious of taking advantage of possessions and, good or bad, moving on. I feel like we did that again tonight.”