The Boston Celtics responded in Game 4 by defeating the Atlanta Hawks, 129-121, at State Farm Arena on Sunday night.
The Celtics now hold a 3-1 series lead over the Hawks.
Check out the full box score here.
ONE BIG TAKEAWAY
A road win is a road win.
While the Celtics still haven't shown the same firepower or ability to exploit the game that separated themselves from Atlanta in the regular season, that wasn't priority No. 1. Boston needed to be the first team in this series to earn a road win and they did, although as the Hawks have done for now three consecutive games, they didn't make it easy.
Boston knew a major deal of emphasis on rebounding would need to be applied in order to walk out of Atlanta with a victory, and necessary improvements were made. The C's held the Hawks to just 16 second-chance points and their bench to 21 points -- two major killers that haunted Boston all throughout Game 3.
The offensive star power wasn't in place to create any sort of significant separation, nevertheless, the Celtics came through when it mattered. As opposed to allowing the Hawks to find a big-time game-clincher, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown propelled the C's to the finish line in the fourth quarter with some nifty playmaking and timely shots.
Perhaps with a chance to punch their ticket to the Eastern Conference semifinals at home, the Celtics can re-establish their identity in Game 5.
STARS OF THE GAME
-- Tatum led the Celtics with 31 points while shooting 8-of-20 from the field with seven rebounds and four assists. In the fourth quarter, Tatum also knocked down a huge gut-punching 3-pointer to extend Boston's lead to 12 points with 2:05 minutes left. He also made a difference on the defensive end, blocking three Hawks shots.
-- Hawks star Trae Young finished with a game-leading 35 points while also recording 14 assists to seize a double-double.
-- Brown matched Tatum's 31 points, shooting 12-of-22 from the field while grabbing four rebounds and dishing out four assists.
WAGER WATCH
FanDuel Sportsbook set the over/under on Al Horford's rebound total at 5.5 with -140 odds on the Over. Horford cleared those odds early, recording six by halftime. A $100 wager placed on the 36-year-old would've resulted in a $171.43 total payout.
UP NEXT
The Celtics, now a victory shy of advancing, will host the Hawks on Tuesday night in Game 5. Tipoff from TD Garden is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET.
