NBA playoff preview and tips: Atlanta Hawks at Boston Celtics
- George Dempsey
- 18 April 2023
The Boston Celtics will host Atlanta Hawks for game two of their NBA playoff series this evening, with the home team looking to move into a commanding 2-0 lead.
TD Garden is the location for this evening's game two clash between the Boston Celtics and the Atlanta Hawks, with the home side expected to record another comfortable victory.
Boston put on a record-breaking display in their 112-99 win over the Hawks, leading by a record margin at the half, outscoring Atlanta 77-44.
The Hawks were able to respond in the second half by putting together a 32-12 run that threatened to make a game of it, but they weren't able to get within single digits of the Celtics.
The three key aspects of the game that contributed to such a wide margin were Boston's defensive intensity, their elite rebounding, and their shooting from beyond the arc.
They're the bigger, stronger side and being able to pull in 46 defensive rebounds compared to Atlanta's 31 really limited the opportunity for second-chance points.
The Hawks played at a pretty good place and put up 98 shots across the course of the match, although they only made 38 field goals (38.8%), with the majority of those coming in the second-half.
Boston were proactive on defence and they were able to limit Atlanta's open looks, applying good pressure to most shots.
The final gulf in class was reflected in the three-point shooting stats. Boston made 13 of 33 attempts, whilst Atlanta were just 5 of 29.
The positive for Atlanta was that they were also proactive on defence and able to force a good number of turnovers and steals, and some better shooting in game two should even things out.
As good as Boston were on defence, much of the visitor's poor three-point shooting percentage was down to nothing more than an off night for some key players. They should perform better from three-point range in game two.
Atlanta's improvement on offence would lead to more scoring, but they still need to find a way to slow Boston down. The Celtics shot below their 120ppg average at home and could improve themselves.
Tatum and Brown were able to do whatever they wanted in the paint, as the Hawks don't possess the physicality to stop them.
We're going to stick with our game one bet. Boston have jumped from a -8 to a -11 favourite. The display was dominant, but it could be better.
Standout trends
Celtics are 5-0ATS in their last five matches.
Celtics are 20-8-1ATS in their last 29 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals.
Hawks are 4-9ATS in their last 13 road matches.
Hawks are 11-28ATS in their last 39 road games against a team winning 60% of home matches.
