The Celtics claimed they had learned their lesson.
In their run to the NBA Finals last season, they relaxed, according to Jayson Tatum, in series against the Bucks and Heat. They eventually got through to the championship round, but made it harder on themselves in the process.
After they took a commanding 3-1 series lead over the Hawks, Tatum wanted the Celtics to act with the urgency and awareness they lacked in those moments last spring.
They didn’t. And, unfathomably, this series is heading back to Atlanta for Game 6 on Thursday.
The Celtics were in control, well on their way to closing out the inferior Hawks. But then they blew it in disastrous fashion. They coughed it all away, blowing a 12-point lead as Trae Young and the Hawks stole the night. The Celtics lost, 119-117, after an epic meltdown, their worst loss of the season.
Jaylen Brown scored 35 points in a dominant performance, but it was no match for Young, who scored 38 points and hit three 3-pointers down the stretch – including the game-winner with 1.7 seconds remaining. Tatum’s shot at the buzzer was no good, and now the Celtics need to go to Atlanta to close this series out.
The Celtics were in complete control of the game, leading by 12 with 5:24 late in the game when everything collapsed on them. The Hawks went on a 12-0 run. Tatum was called for an offensive foul, leading to a 3-pointer for Young. Then Young stole the ball from Marcus Smart and drilled a game-tying 3-pointer, knotting the game at 111 with 2:42 to go.
The C’s answered when Robert Williams put home a putback, but then they lost their poise. With 1:39 remaining, Horford was called for a shooting foul on Young but Tatum was called for a technical foul. Young made the technical free throw, then made both free throws to give the Hawks a 114-113 lead.
On the ensuing possession, Brown turned the ball over but Young missed a 3-pointer. With 25 seconds to go, Williams finished a lob to give the C’s back the lead. On the next Atlanta possession, Smart went in for a steal on Young but fouled him. Young made both free throws for the lead before White was fouled on the next trip. He made both free throws, but then Young drilled the shot of the night, a 29-foot 3-pointer with 2.8 seconds left that proved to be the game-winner.
Other takeaways from the loss:
– In the Celtics’ Game 4 win, Brown removed his mask – which is protecting a facial fracture he suffered in early February – after a poor start and the change paid dividends as he scored 29 points on 11-for-15 shooting the rest of the game.
It seemed like Brown was ditching the mask for good but that wasn’t the case. The mask returned in Game 5, but not much changed in his performance. Brown was on a mission from the opening tip, and hit the first five shots he took. He was getting absolutely anything he wanted in the paint, which largely contributed to the Celtics’ early 34-16 edge inside. With Jayson Tatum starting slow – he was 3-for-11 in the first half – Brown’s play was instrumental in the C’s taking control late in the first half. He had 23 points on 10-for-13 shooting in the half.
– With Dejounte Murray suspended for the Hawks, Al Horford stressed the importance of defending the 3-point line with more awareness. The early returns weren’t ideal. The Hawks started the game shooting 8-for-13 distance, including one make late in the first quarter that drew the ire of Joe Mazzulla, who threw his hands in the air after Saddiq Bey drilled a wide-open triple.
– Horford continues to turn the clocks back defensively when the playoffs start. The veteran big man had a dominant start on that end that helped the Celtics get going in the second quarter. He recorded four blocks in the first half. He got back in transition one play to force a turnover. He sniffed out an alley-oop attempt, deflecting the ball into transition that resulted in a layup for Tatum. Horford was everywhere.
That defensive intensity propelled the Celtics as they took a 13-point lead late in the first half after trailing for most of the game. The Celtics posted a 20-0 advantage in fast break points at halftime.