Atlanta Hawks Dismantle the Boston Celtics for Crucial Win
The Atlanta Hawks got a much-needed win over the Boston Celtics on Thursday night at Philips Arena.
With their backs against the wall on Thursday night in Atlanta, the Hawks responded with one of their best performances of the season.
Entering Thursday night’s contest against the Boston Celtics, the Hawks had lost nine of their last 11 games and were just 1.5 games above the playoff line in the Eastern Conference. The stakes don’t get much higher with five games left in the regular season and the Hawks showed out on national television.
The Hawks defeated the second-seeded Celtics by a 123-116 score in a game that was not as close as the score indicated. And it was the return of the old Paul Millsap that really gave the team a lift.
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Millsap continued to come off of the bench, as he has since returning from injury. But this was the game where he appeared to be really back. The four-time All-Star finished with 26 points, 12 rebounds, four assists, and two steals. He led a re-energized second unit that really gave the Hawks some great minutes.
Kent Bazemore served as the backup point guard in this game and did a great job. He scored 12 points and tallied four steals in 19 minutes of play. This is a new role to keep an eye on.
But the starting lineup for Atlanta came to play, too.
Taurean Prince continued to display great potential and had, maybe, his best game as a pro. Prince logged 41 minutes in this game and posted 20 points, seven rebounds, and four assists. He also shot 7-for-13 from the field and looked like the best player on the floor in the first half. The rookie was also tied up in a good battle with Jae Crowder, who scored 24 points.
Prince was accompanied on the wing by Tim Hardaway Jr., who always seems to show up in big games. Hardaway tallied 23 points, five rebounds, and five assists to form, what seemed like, the most explosive wing tandem that the Hawks have seen all season long.
And the two big position battles, at point guard and center, provided some interesting storylines as well.
Isaiah Thomas and Dennis Schroder engaged in a fun battle. Schroder scored 18 points and dished out five assists. But committed just two turnovers. That is crucial for a Hawks team that needs him to be a true point guard.
Thomas scored 35 points and, on the surface, appeared to win the battle. But not so fast. Thomas registered a -20 plus-minus in this game. That figure was, by far, the worst of any player in the game. He provided buckets for the Celtics, but their flow as a team seemed off when he dominated the ball.
And at center, it was a highly emotional affair.
Al Horford returned to take on the man who holds his old job, Dwight Howard. Horford did not perform well in this game and caught some boo’s from the Atlanta crowd. He finished with just four points, five rebounds, and three assists while shooting 12.5 percent from the field. Horford was no match on the glass either, leading to the Hawks winning the rebounding battle 52-38.
Howard did fairly well in limited minutes in this game. In just 21 minutes, he put up 10 points and eight rebounds on 3-of-5 shooting. Horford did not set the bar high, but Howard won the center battle. And Hawks fans can feel good about their man in the middle.
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The Hawks needed this win in the worst way. With the way the results around the league shook out, the Hawks are now back in the fifth-place spot in the Eastern Conference standings. With four games left, let’s see if they can build on this win.