2 weeks Ago By Audrey Cooney
By Tom Westerholm Jayson Tatum went off in the first half and the Celtics coasted the rest of the way, rolling over the Hawks 123-93 to close their road trip on a high note. Here are the takeaways. 1.
Jayson Tatum started hot There was a stretch on Monday during which it looked like Jayson Tatum might do something special on Monday. He poured in 16 points in the first quarter and, when he returned from his brief respite at the beginning of the second quarter, he continued to cook, pouring in 10 more points before halftime to go into the break with 26. The break, however, seemed to cool him off a bit.
Tatum finished with 28 points on 10-for-21 shooting after a 1-for-8 performance in the third quarter. His only basket was a transition dunk, and he took a seat for the fourth quarter and never returned as the Celtics strolled to a 30-point win in their third road game in four nights. Tatum did play a crucial role as the team stretched their advantage to 18 by the end of the third quarter, dishing out several assists and acting as the focal point of the Hawks’ defense while his teammates got open looks around him.
Celtics fans hoping to see Tatum statpad to make his MVP case a little easier, however, may have been disappointed. 2. A callback to Rajon Rondo? According to the NBC Sports Boston broadcast, Tatum and Derrick White have an agreement: When one of them says that a game is a headband night, they both have to don them.
The results were pretty solid: Tatum went nuts in the first half, and White worked his way into the game, finishing with 21 points on 8-for-16 shooting to go with six rebounds and six assists. Tatum, incidentally, wore his headband with the NBA logo upside down, which famously was outlawed to the displeasure of Rajon Rondo . Whether or not Tatum will be reprimanded remains to be seen, but even in 2010 when the rule was implemented, it felt very unnecessary.
3. High speeds The Celtics dominated the Hawks in fast-break points, winning the category 35-4. The Hawks’ first fast-break points came in the fourth quarter when Onyeka Okongwu picked off a pass from Sam Hauser and took it the length of the floor for a slam, but until that point, the Celtics got whatever they wanted on the break with crisp, unselfish ball movement.
Everyone pitched in. Tatum punched home a big dunk and led the break on multiple occasions. Neemias Queta was a lob threat at the rim.
White and Jrue Holiday picked the Hawks apart with passing and smart cuts. Atlanta is one of the worst defensive teams in the NBA through eight games, and Monday’s game won’t help their 28th-ranked net rating. For a Celtics team that feasts against opposing defenses with any weak point, the Hawks offered several and were pretty clearly outclassed from the jump.
4. Neemias Queta got his first start With Jaylen Brown still out nursing a strained hip flexor, the Celtics went back to their jumbo lineup with Tatum, White, Holiday, Al Horford, and Neemias Queta in the opening group. Queta was an interesting addition to the starters.
He struggled a bit defensively when he got switched onto Atlanta’s guards, but he was simply bigger and more athletic than the Hawks in the middle of the paint on both ends. In 56 possessions this season prior to Monday’s game, the Horford and Luke Kornet two-man group had been dominant. Mazzulla opted to keep Kornet as part of the bench unit, which worked well alongside Tatum in the second quarter; Tatum thrives when he shares the floor as the primary option with the second unit.
5. Jordan Walsh showed some flashes Walsh got loose for layup in transition and scored through contact, and his defense on both ends was fun to watch. He shut down Jalen Johnson on a post-up, poked away two steals, and recorded a block in 19 minutes of action.
Offensively, Walsh still has a ways to go, but he’s settling into his defensive role nicely as an agent of chaos with a ton of energy and long, waving arms that manage to poke the ball free more often than one might expect. 6. Trae Young broke an impressive streak Trae Young was not a factor at all for the Hawks — 1-for-10 from the field with two points and six assists, breaking a 70-game streak in which he scored at least 10 points and finished with at least five assists.
Young, like many of the rotation players for both teams, did not play in the fourth quarter, which prevented him from making a last-ditch attempt to keep the streak alive. As noted by the NBC Sports Boston broadcast, Cade Cunningham now becomes the player with the longest streak of 10 points and five assists. Cunningham’s mark? Nine.
7. The Warriors are coming out to play After a relatively quiet road trip that included their first loss and three solid-but-run-of-the-mill wins, the Celtics get some fireworks again when they return home on Wednesday: They face the Golden State Warriors for the first time since Steve Kerr offended the entire city of Boston by benching Tatum on the Olympic team (albeit in successful pursuit of a gold medal). There will be boos.
The game tips off at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN.
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