The Boston Celtics are firing on all cylinders.
Boston extended its winning streak to eight games Friday by hammering the lowly Atlanta Hawks 129-108 at TD Garden.
The C’s scored 42 points in the first quarter but let the Hawks back into the game, holding just an 11-point lead at the break. But Boston scored 41 more points in the third quarter to put Atlanta out of its misery. The Hawks were careless with the ball all night and the Celtics took advantage, scoring 42 points off turnovers. Boston also knocked down 19 3-pointers in the demolition of the Hawks.
Kyrie Irving led the C’s with a game-high 24 points, while Jayson Tatum (22), Marcus Morris (20), Gordon Hayward (19) and Daniel Theis (18) also scored in double figures.
With the win, the Celtics improve to 18-10, while the Hawks fell to 6-22.
Here’s how it all went down:
STARTING FIVE
PG: Kyrie Irving
SG: Marcus Smart
SF: Jayson Tatum
PF: Marcus Morris
C: Aron Baynes
DOUBLED UP
The Celtics took it to the Hawks early, starting the game on a 13-3 run over the first 3:05 of the game, capped by an Irving 3-pointer that forced Atlanta to call timeout.
The timeout didn’t help the Hawks, as Boston continued to pour it on, extending its lead to 23-5 midway through the quarter.
Irving was cooking early.
Atlanta cut the lead to 10 with a quick 8-0 run, but the C’s finished the opening stanza on a 19-6 burst to take a 42-19 lead into the second quarter.
Boston shot 72.7 percent (!!!) in the first quarter, led by 12 from Irving and nine from Morris. Kevin Huerter paced the Hawks with six.
HAWKS SHOW SOME FIGHT
Despite being thoroughly outplayed in the first quarter, Atlanta didn’t quit.
The Hawks opened the second stanza on a 23-5 run to cut the C’s lead to five with 5:13 remaining in the frame. Atlanta’s flurry included a 19-0 spurt.
Boston finally started to right the ship, going on a 9-4 run to push the lead back to 10 with under four to play. Hayward scored seven of the C’s 10 points during the spell.
Boston maintained its lead for the remainder of the period, taking a 67-56 lead into the break.
Irving was the high man with 16 in the half, while Hayward added 14 and Morris scored 12. Huerter led the Hawks with 12.
C’S TURN ON THE JETS
Boston put its poor second quarter behind it quickly, as the Celtics opened the third on a quick 10-0 run.
Tatum kicked things off by drilling a midrange J, followed by back-to-back 3-pointers from Irving before Morris capped the run with a layup off a smooth dish from Smart.
The Celtics continued to assert their will throughout the third quarter, with rookie center Robert Williams III recording highlights on both ends of the floor.
The Celtics finished the third quarter leading 108-82. Tatum scored 15 points in the frame, while Irving and Morris added eight points apiece.
Irving led all scorers with 24 points after three. Huerter continued to be the Hawks’ best offensive option, as the rookie had 19 through three.
GARBAGE TIME
The Hawks were unable to make a dent in Boston’s lead early in the frame, causing both teams to go to their bench for most of the final quarter.
PLAY OF THE GAME
UP NEXT
The Celtics will take the floor Saturday when they visit the Detroit Pistons. Tip-off from Little Caesars Arena is set for 7 p.m. ET.
