The Boston Celtics won their eighth game in a row, defeating the Atlanta Hawks, 126-101, at State Farm Arena on Wednesday.
The Celtics improved to an NBA-best 12-3 on the season, while the Hawks fell to 9-6.
Check out the full box score here.
ONE BIG TAKEAWAY
No Marcus Smart, no Malcolm Brogdon, no problem.
Early on the Celtics established themselves as the most dominant offensive force in basketball, due in large part to their ability to knock down shots from beyond the arc, as was the case against the Hawks. Entering the contest as the league leaders in 3-pointers made per game, the Celtics proceeded to knock down 21 as a team, outshooting the Hawks 45.7% to 21.9% from beyond the arc.
Second-unit sharpshooter Sam Hauser led that charge, contributing five 3-pointers while leading the Celtics bench, which contributed 44 points, in scoring with 15 points alongside five rebounds.
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown recorded their most underwhelming offensive showings thus far on the season, combining to score 41 points — the lowest they’ve combined to score this season. Picking it up in the fourth quarter to close the door on Atlanta, the Celtics’ star duo had plenty of support with Boston displaying its next-man-up mentality throughout the night.
Interim head coach Joe Mazzulla removed Tatum and Brown with 4:59 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter after the Celtics built a 29-point lead — their largest against the Hawks.
STARS OF THE GAME
— Derrick White stepped up big with Boston missing two veteran point guards, leading the Celtics with 10 assists alongside 16 points and five rebounds. The 28-year-old veteran notched his first double-double of the season in the process.
— Brown finished an uncharacteristic early showing, scoring 22 points to lead the Celtics, shooting 10-for-17 from the field with five rebounds.
— Trae Young led the charge for Atlanta, scoring 27 points on 10-for-23 shooting from the field with five rebounds and nine assists.
WAGER WATCH
DraftKings Sportsbook set the odds of Grant Williams’ over/under 3-point field goal total at 1.5 with +100 odds on the Over. The 23-year-old veteran cleared those odds with ease, knocking down three in the first half alone. A $100 bet on Williams would’ve resulted in a $200 payout.
UP NEXT
The red-hot Celtics continue their road trip Friday against the New Orleans Pelicans. Tipoff from Smoothie King Center is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. ET.
