Tatum scores 38 as Celtics rally past Hawks 105-95 for 8th win in row

BOSTON — Jayson Tatum scored 38 points and led a third-quarter surge that sent the Boston Celtics past the Atlanta Hawks 105-95 Sunday for their eighth straight win.

Tatum also had 10 rebounds. Robert Williams added 10 points and 14 boards, Jaylen Brown scored 17 points and Marcus Smart had 13.

Trae Young had 30 points and 10 assists to lead Atlanta, keeping the Hawks within range until the final few minutes of the fourth quarter. Bogdan Bogdanovic finished with 26 points and Clint Capela pulled down 17 rebounds for the Hawks, who lost for the fourth time in five games.

Atlanta held a 10-point lead at halftime but unraveled quickly in the third quarter.

The Celtics, who lost their first two against the Hawks this season, trailed 55-45 at halftime and allowed an early basket by Young to start the third.

Boston responded with a 12-0 run and dominated the rest of the period. The Celtics made 13 of 18 shots in the third. Tatum hit a pair of 3-pointers late in the period and adding a dunk with three seconds remaining to put the Celtics up 87-78.

Tatum wasn’t done. After the Hawks pulled within 89-84, Tatum hit a turnaround jumper, then another 3-pointer to stretch the lead back to 94-84 with 6:32 left and prompted the Hawks to call a timeout.

The break didn’t slow down Boston, which forced a miss by Young under the basket and got another 3-pointer by Grant Williams from in front of the Atlanta bench. The Celtics were able to hold a wide lead the rest of the way.

Although the Hawks held Boston to only 18 points in the fourth, Atlanta scored just 17 in the final period.