The Boston Celtics lost both of their games in Georgia. The two losses to the Atlanta Hawks are only the third time this season that they have dropped two games in a row.
Rather than blowing a 30-point lead, as they did on Monday, Thursday’s loss was typified by poor rebounding and Dejounte Murray’s outstanding play. He scored a career-high 44 points on 44 shots.
The game went into overtime, but Boston was unable to come up big when it counted. They switched up their late-game offence in overtime, but it wasn’t enough, as Murray hit a dagger with 0.1 seconds left.
As with Monday, we’ll go with two negatives and one positive for these three items.
1. Ball-watching on the glass.
Atlanta had 17 offensive rebounds and 28 second-chance points in their one-point victory. That’s a formula for disaster for the Celtics.
Some of the Hawks’ rebounds were the product of terrible luck. Three-point shots bounced strangely off the hoop, resulting in long rebounds, and there was even an airball mixed in. Others, however, were caused by a lack of effort.
Where did Kristaps Porzingis go on this play? He was cutting off a Murray drive that hadn’t even begun, and once the Hawks guard got by Derrick White, the rest of the Celtics stood still. Nobody even attempted to hit the glass.
Sam Hauser plays excellent defence on this play, but De’Andre Hunter soars in for an uncontested offensive board. He was Jrue Holiday’s assignment, but Holiday completely lost him on the perimeter, and the rest of the Celtics are watching as well.
