Payton Pritchard’s 36 points helped the Boston Celtics overcome the Atlanta Hawks 109-102 on Friday night. Jayson Tatum added 26 points and 12 rebounds for Boston. The Hawks entered the game with a 15-2 record since the All-Star break, the best in the Eastern Conference.
Jalen Johnson scored 29 points for Atlanta, and CJ McCollum had 21. Nickeil Alexander-Walker added 20 points. However, Atlanta’s shooting accuracy declined as the game progressed after a strong start.
Boston were without All-Star guard Jaylen Brown, who was ruled out due to Achilles tendinitis.
Celtics Overcome Early Deficit
The Celtics recovered from trailing 25-9 in the first quarter, thanks to Pritchard’s performance off the bench. A significant swing beyond the arc also helped. Boston made seven straight 3-pointers during the second quarter. Despite this, Johnson and Atlanta led 60-55 at halftime.
Tatum Seals the Victory
Atlanta, fresh from an overtime victory over Eastern Conference leader Detroit, entered the final quarter close behind Boston. Boston has the East’s second-best record. Tatum, despite missing 16 of 24 shots, drove to the rim to give Boston a 97-86 lead with 7:29 remaining.
Tatum was fouled on a 3-point attempt as the shot clock wound down. He then made three free throws, giving Boston a 107-99 lead with a minute left.
Hawks’ Winning Streak Snapped
The surging Hawks entered Friday with 14 wins in their last 15 games. Their three-game winning streak was snapped after shooting 39% from the field.
- Payton Pritchard scored 36 points for the Celtics.
- Jalen Johnson scored 29 points for the Hawks.
- The Hawks shot 39% from the field.
Brown missed his eighth game of the season. The Celtics improved to 7-1 without their leading scorer. Boston coach Joe Mazzulla said he was day to day.
Atlanta will host Sacramento on Saturday night. The Celtics will travel to face Charlotte on Sunday.