Each time the Boston Celtics tried to mount any sort of sustained comeback, the Atlanta Hawks hit a timely three-pointer, rejected a Celtics shot attempt or finished a perfectly executed fastbreak.
And after shooting 51% from the field, the Hawks are moving on to the second round following their 104-92 win over the Celtics in Game 6. They’ll face the Cavaliers, who swept the Pistons in their first round series, on Monday night in Cleveland.
The Celtics faced just an eight-point deficit at halftime, but from there, the Hawks imprinted their efficient style on the game. From excellent ball movement on one end to relentless defense on the other, the lead ballooned to 20, shrunk to 14 and then rose again after Atlanta closed the third quarter on a 7-0 run. The Hawks outscored the Celtics 39-26 in the third. By the end, six Hawks had finished in double-digits. Paul Millsap had a team-high 17, the majority of which came from the free throw line.
If not for an impressive, last-ditch effort from the Celtics, the final margin would've been jarring.
The Hawks led 89-61 with 9:51 left in the fourth before the Celtics reeled off a run befitting of a team desperate to save their season. Jae Crowder hit two three-pointers. Isaiah Thomas finished routine and circus shots near the rim. The Celtic faithful held out hope. As the series and Game 6 wore on, it was impossible not to recognize the impact a swingman like Avery Bradley would've had. And while he sat with a hamstring injury, Thomas, the Celtics' fearless PG, kept plugging away trying to pick apart the Hawks' web of defenders.
It was fairly obviously, at least for the last two games, who the Hawks' defensive gameplan revolved around.
"(Thomas) is such a great shooter, but he's so crafty around the basket," Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer said. "You want to show him a lot of bodies."
Boston's All-Star guard finished with 25 points but was just 9 of 24 from the field with 10 assists. His late surge momentarily gave the Celtics a chance.
But despite closing the game with little of the composure associated with the Hawks, Atlanta hung on for their first playoff victory in Boston since 1988. With 12 blocks and 26 assists on 38 made field goals, the Hawks got it done on both ends ahead of their series against the presumptive favorites. They'll need to be even better to knock off LeBron James' top-seeded Cavaliers.
NBA playoffs: Best of the first round
