Just how bad was the Boston Celtics' collapse in Game 5 against the Atlanta Hawks?
Well, consider this random stat shared on Wednesday morning's episode of "Get Up" on ESPN: Over the last 25 NBA postseasons, teams facing elimination that were down 13 points in the final six minutes of regulation were 0-183.
The Hawks obviously bucked that trend Tuesday night with a 119-117 win over the Celtics at TD Garden, with Atlanta storming back in the closing minutes behind an impressive fourth-quarter performance from Trae Young. The two-time All-Star totaled a game-high 38 points and 13 assists, punctuating the effort with a long, go-ahead 3-pointer in Jaylen Brown's face with 1.8 seconds remaining.
The series now shifts to State Farm Arena in Atlanta for Game 6 on Thursday night. The Celtics still hold a 3-2 advantage in the best-of-seven set, but they squandered a golden opportunity Tuesday to secure a second-round date with the Philadelphia 76ers.
Boston's Game 5 loss also gives Sixers star Joel Embiid more time to recover from a knee injury he suffered in Philadelphia's first-round series win over the Brooklyn Nets. So, even if the Celtics ultimately advance past the Hawks, they could regret not closing out the series sooner on their home floor.
Credit to Atlanta, though. The Hawks stared an 0-183 situation directly in the eyes and lived to tell the tale.
