The Hawks certain may have used All-Defensive guard Dyson Daniels to defend Celtics star Jaylen Brown on Saturday night time. However with Daniels sitting out the sport because of an ankle damage, Brown torched each different member of the Hawks who tried to protect him.
Brown, a Georgia native who definitely loved his homecoming journey to Atlanta as Wheeler Excessive Faculty retired his quantity Friday, exploded proper out of the gate, netting 18 factors within the first quarter and ending with a game-high 41 factors because the Celtics throttled the Hawks, 132-106, at State Farm Area.
Brown, who shot 14-for-30 from the ground and made 11-of-12 free throws to offset a chilly 2-for-9 capturing night time from behind the arc, did all of his work in three quarters as Joe Mazzulla sat Brown within the ultimate body with the Celtics in full management. The remaining was much-needed for Brown because the Celtics conclude a four-game street journey towards the East-leading Pistons on Monday night time (8 p.m. ET).
“I believe it was just a few residence cooking tonight,” Brown informed NBC Sports activities Boston sideline reporter Kayla Burton. “Simply being aggressive, popping out, simply attending to my spots, being aggressive and let the remainder deal with itself.”
Brown added: “I believe (this weekend) was nice. This is rather like the exclamation level. (Friday) was a terrific occasion, my jersey received retired at Wheeler, the place I received a state championship. I grew up 25, 20 minutes from right here, so to have the ability to are available in and get the win, and have a giant efficiency was nice.”
It was laborious to inform that the Celtics have been with out beginning guard Payton Pritchard, who missed his first recreation of the season because of left ankle soreness, as Boston put up a season-high 82 factors within the first half on 63.2% capturing from the sphere and a 14-for-24 (58.3%) exhibiting from 3-point vary. The offensive onslaught gave the Celtics an 82-51 halftime lead after they outscored the Hawks, 52-28, within the second quarter.
Sam Hauser joined Brown within the highlight together with his lights-out capturing. Hauser knocked down 7-of-8 3-pointers within the first half and in the end hit 10-of-21 photographs from deep — all his photographs on the night time have been from 3-point vary — to pour in 30 factors. The ten 3-pointers tied Hauser’s profession excessive.
Anfernee Simons continued to have a scorching hand, coming off the bench to attain 14 factors and Neemias Queta was assertive within the paint with 14 factors and 7 rebounds. Baylor Scheierman received the beginning nod instead of Pritchard and chipped in with 9 factors.
The Hawks additionally have been with out former Celtics fan favourite Kristaps Porzingis. Like his time with Boston, Porzingis’ first season with the Hawks has been marred by injuries. The 7-foot-2 heart missed his fourth straight recreation because of left Achilles tendonitis and that got here after a knee damage stored him off the court docket earlier this month. Porzingis additionally sat out 10 consecutive video games in December because the sickness he handled final season with the Celtics continues to impression him.
Brown was aggressive from the beginning and appeared decided to placed on a present in entrance of his hometown. He took 13 photographs within the first quarter and went to the road six occasions to set the muse for his fifth 40-point efficiency of the season. The four-time All-Star did most of his harm within the paint to present the Celtics a 30-23 lead after the opening 12 minutes.
The Celtics actually took off within the second quarter after back-to-back buckets from Luke Kennard and Mouhamed Gueye pulled the Hawks inside 4 simply 1:16 into the body. Boston used a 10-0 run, punctuated by a Simons jumper and 3-pointer, to open up a commanding 17-point lead with 7:40 left earlier than halftime.
The Celtics stored pouring it on within the second quarter as they orchestrated a 20-3 tear spearheaded by Brown and Hauser. Hauser hit all six of the 3-pointers he took within the body, together with three of them coming within the run, and Brown added in a highlight-reel play when he completed a circus shot on the rim whereas Vit Krejci pinned down his left arm for the and-one bucket.
Boston stored attacking to start out the third quarter with Derrick White not letting up and setting the tone for the second half with a steal and layup. Brown put up one other 12 factors within the quarter whereas Queta chipped in with eight because the Celtics’ lead ballooned to as a lot as 43 factors within the stanza.
The fourth quarter featured rubbish time and Hauser looking Marcus Good’s franchise document of 11 3-pointers made in a single recreation. Hauser received on the precipice of tying Good after he canned back-to-back triples halfway by the quarter. Hauser, and his teammates, have been properly conscious of the document because the Celtics stored feeding Hauser. He launched away, however he missed six straight triples in a three-minute span earlier than Mazzulla pulled him with 4:55 left.
