The Atlanta Hawks are 2-1 against the Boston Celtics this season, and both wins have come at TD Garden. On Nov. 12, Onyeka Okongwu delivered a game-winning putback to take down the defending NBA champions. Jalen Johnson returned after missing the previous five contests with a right shoulder injury. He finished with 14 points (5-13 Fg) and 13 rebounds. Kristaps Porziņģis and Al Horford did not play for the home team. This game went right down to the wire in the fourth frame and extra period.
With 1:15 on the game clock in the fourth, Trae Young knocked down a three, giving Atlanta a 100-98 lead. After Derrick White hit two free throws, De’Andre Hunter missed a good look from deep, and Jaylen Brown cashed in a stepback mid-ranger to put the Celtics up 102-100. Jrue Holiday denied Young the ball on the next possession, and Onyeka Okongwu’s pass sailed out of bounds. Young received a technical foul after the play, and suddenly the Hawks found themselves in desperation mode.
Jayson Tatum hit the free throw, but Atlanta forced Brown into a turnover to win possession back down three points. Young calmly hit two free throws, but Tatum only hit one on the other end, giving the Hawks a chance. Young hit two more from the stripe to tie the game at 104, and Tatum missed a fading shot to send the game to overtime.
Both teams exchanged haymakers to begin the extra period. White, Young, and Brown hit three consecutive triples, and Okongwu converted an and-one to put Atlanta up 114-113. The Hawks’ center rejected Brown’s shot in the paint on the next possession. Johnson missed both his free throws, but Okongwu grabbed the offensive board. He converted two shots at the stripe for a three-point Hawks lead. Tatum took a fading triple to tie the game, but it bounced off the rim, and Johnson sealed the win at the line.
Both teams struggled mightily from beyond the arc. Boston shot 15-52, while Atlanta went 9-37. The Hawks turned the ball over six times in the opening frame and found themselves down 33-21. However, they flipped the script in the second, outsourcing Boston 31-15 and forcing Boston into six turnovers.
The Celtics could not find their lethal form from downtown, but the Hawks had their bread and butter working. They outscored Boston 60-42 in points in the paint and 44-22 in bench points. Most of those came from Okongwu and Hunter. Okongwu totaled 19 points, 13 boards, and four blocks for his third-straight double-double. Hunter added 6 points and six rebounds. Young recorded 28 points, 11 dimes, two steals, and two blocks, while Dyson Daniels shot 11-14 from the floor for 23 points.
Brown and Tatum had 24 and 23 points, respectively; however, they combined to shoot 16-48 from the field. Payton Pritchard collected 18 of his 20 points in the second half, and White scored 21 points (7-20 FG). Luke Kornet started, putting up 17 points, seven rebounds, four steals, and two blocks with Horford and Porziņģis sidelined.
The Hawks extended their win streak to three games with this victory. They will try to make it four when they face the New York Knicks on Monday at Madison Square Garden.
