1. The Celtics went up 2- around the Atlanta Hawks in a video game that felt quite similar to the first matchup. Recreation 2 started in a different way from Activity 1, but by the end of the very first quarter, it was following a familiar script.
Any ideas or problems that the Hawks had figured out some stuff from Match 1 that would translate to the relaxation of the sequence dissipated reasonably early. The Celtics started out sloppy and didn’t have good overall body language, but following some vital subs (shoutout to Malcolm Brogdon and Rob Williams for changing the strength), points settled in.
From the halfway level of the 1st quarter and onward, Boston was in regulate of the recreation. Of course, the Celtics enable go of the rope a little, but they did much more than sufficient to acquire the recreation and were by no means genuinely threatened. Yet again, this was a ton like Activity 1.
With the collection shifting to Atlanta, this is the most effective the Celtics have looked in the postseason in a handful of yrs now. Which is merely a point vs any sort of overconfidence.
2. Boston is dominating in the paint in this series. Specified the Celtics proclivity in direction of 3-pointers and the Hawks currently being one of the much better inside groups this season, which is in all probability the biggest shock of the series so considerably.
And Boston is dominating within in a sequence of approaches. They aren’t heading to any a single detail to get scores around the rim.
It’s been Jayson Tatum overpowering the Hawks defense with his dimensions and talent:
It’s been Rob Williams staying bigger and more athletic than the men the Hawks switch on to him:
This 1 is a superior illustration of Malcolm Brogdon pulling the ball out to give Williams the house to possess his mismatch in the paint:
From time to time, the Celtics are hustling and generating smart plays right before throwing in circus shots:
We mentioned in the collection preview, that Boston wouldn’t hesitate to go to straight submit-up alternatives for Marcus Clever from Trae Younger. The spacing right here is fantastic and Atlanta simply cannot bring assist, since Sensible will locate a shooter. The outcome is an effortless fadeaway in the lane:
No other group in the league can match a big-to-massive DHO into a second DHO motion made to get the protection guessing just before the driver can get downhill for the layup:
And at last, sometimes it’s attacking a bad defender in place. Brogdon is too excellent, as well crafty, far too poised and far too sturdy for Bogdan Bogdanovic to stand considerably of a chance a single-on-a person:
3. On the other finish of the flooring, the Celtics rim defense has been fantastic all over the sequence. They blocked 12 photographs in Game 2, which was one particular off the franchise’s postseason report for blocks in a sport. Rob Williams and Al Horford are doing their points, but Boston’s guards are having associated as well.
This is now the fourth lob Marcus Good has broken up in the sequence, and it arrived at the end of the very first quarter of Video game 2:
All-D White is undertaking his issue, as the ideal rim-defending guard in the NBA (Reward: Brogdon with the buzzer-beating banker!):
Trae Younger is receiving some factors, mainly because that’s what he does. But he’s owning to get the job done seriously really hard for them and, in some cases, he’s not scoring at all:
4. Boston is successful the transition activity far too. Typically, it is mainly because they’re working from the lazy Hawks protection. Derrick White leaks out and Jaylen Brown drops the strike-ahead pass on him below:
This one starts off with a Brown swat on a single close. Then, when the Hawks blow their matchups in transition, Malcolm Brogdon leaves it for Rob Williams to end off at the basket:
Most transition possibilities are designed off fantastic defense. Brown will get the strip below and Brogdon benefits him with the assist:
You may possibly have noticed that Brogdon is all above these clips. He performed a fantastic flooring sport in this 1. He begins with the steal here and then adeptly operates the split before location up Marcus Sensible for the layup:
In the close, it was a changeover hammer that set a cap on items for Boston:
5. Jayson Tatum did a great position performing towards the extra help Atlanta despatched his way in Video game 2. Tatum having this go out of the double-workforce swiftly opened up Jaylen Brown against a scrambling Hawks protection:
Tatum sees the double creeping his way right here, so he receives into his phase-back before it could get there:
This is the inverse. This time the Hawks set two on the ball, virtually anticipating Derrick White was heading to check out to get it ideal again to Tatum. As an alternative, he pops out and it is an open triple:
We’ve talked for months (for two many years, really) about how considerably Tatum’s passing has leveled up. He just sees the entire flooring so nicely now. The Hawks are loading to him right here, and he zips it crosscourt to Al Horford in the corner:
6. Derrick White’s self confidence is sky-superior suitable now. He displays it in a few of different methods. This precise play likely performed out countless numbers of instances in the Spurs apply facility. White doesn’t worry against Dejounte Murray’s tension. White just, calmly and confidently drives Murray for the effortless layup:
In the fourth quarter, with the Hawks hanging around, White dribbled into the pullup around his previous teammate:
This a person is just White allowing it fly virtually quickly off the capture, for the reason that he’s assured in his shot:
One far more time, White goes coastline-to-coastline and finishes in the lane:
You can almost see the quiet self-assurance and just-apparent-more than enough swagger dripping off All-D White appropriate now.
7. The Hawks protection stinks. Boston is getting edge of that in very immediate ways, as observed in some of the clips earlier mentioned. Other occasions, the Celtics just use their ball and player motion to get easy scores.
Simply because the Hawks are crossmatched all around on this perform, Jalen Johnson drifts as well much from Marcus Sensible and he gets an quick 3 off the kickout from Rob Williams:
Even although he’s ideal behind him, Trae Youthful loses Derrick White until finally this pass is bouncing by him:
It is tough to tell even what this is, but it’s a mess. How do you go away Jayson Tatum this extensive-open?
Saddiq Bey is hoping to cheat the screen below. So, whilst it wasn’t the changeover backdoor perform, Intelligent was in a position to easily go in excess of the prime to locate Brown for the back again-slice alley-oop:
8. In an effort to be fairly balanced, we’ll wrap with a pair of areas of small concern.
Atlanta grabbed 19 offensive rebounds. All over again, they skipped a substantial volume of shots (58 misses in Activity 2 right after 60 misses in Sport 1), so some of that was just availability of offensive boards. But it was a little even worse than Sport 1.
On the additionally facet, the Hawks only scored 13 next-opportunity factors on these opportunities. So, it barely killed Boston.
9. The Celtics got a little sloppy with the ball once again. This time it was passes far more than it was steals off negative ballhandling.
The superior news? They bought it underneath command right before it spiraled. And the Celtics did force the direct back up to 20-plus details right before the endgame part performed out.
10. Boston heads to Atlanta up 2- and in really dominating trend. If they retain enjoying the way they did in Game titles 1 and 2, the improve in venue shouldn’t make any difference. The Celtics can expect the Hawks very best shot in Activity 3, as they should really get a raise from the house group.
The most self-confidence-inspiring section of this start out to the playoffs for Boston? They look like final year’s workforce on defense again. They are flying about, switching, scrapping, banging bodies and masking anything. Which is been the single major big difference from the standard time Celtics.
Match 3 is on Friday. We’ll see if Boston can take a commanding series guide and get the Hawks contemplating about summer vacation.