The Boston Celtics are hoping to win their third game in a row on Tuesday when they play the Atlanta Hawks in the first game of the NBA Cup group stage for both teams.
All 30 teams in the NBA were divided into six groups of five teams each, and the Celtics and Hawks are both in East Group C, along with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Chicago Bulls, and Washington Wizards.
The Hawks are coming off a 125-113 loss at home to the Bulls on Saturday, which followed a tough 122-121 loss to the Detroit Pistons the night before. In the game against the Bulls, the Hawks were outscored 65-43 in the second half and 35-15 in the fourth quarter.
“Early in the second half, they went straight to their bench,” said Atlanta guard Trae Young. “The guys they brought in were just running. They weren’t even really running any plays, they were just running fast.
It can definitely wear you down. Coach (Billy) Donovan is obviously a really good coach and he’s been in this game for a while. He saw what was going on and they used that to their advantage.”
Young added, “We all know when a team (plays back-to-back nights), you want to get up and down and make them tired. … We’ve played three back-to-backs in the first two-and-a-half weeks. Nobody’s gonna feel bad for us. We have to fight through it.”
Clint Capela led the Hawks with 20 points and nine rebounds, while Jalen Johnson also scored 20 points. Despite a strong start, the Hawks have lost seven of their last nine games after winning their first two.
“We gave too many fast-break points to them and they got confident,” Capela said. “Once a team gets confident like that it makes your job harder. … I think we got a little static on offense not knowing what to do. There were a lot of guys going one-on-one without really creating something.”
Boston, on the other hand, came back from a 17-point deficit to beat the Milwaukee Bucks 113-107 on the road Sunday. Jayson Tatum had a standout performance with 31 points, 12 rebounds, and six assists.
The Celtics started the second half with a 12-0 run and held the Bucks to just 38 points in the final two quarters.
“I think we just picked up the intensity,” said Boston’s Jrue Holiday. “Knowing that they came out and hit shots (early), not getting too ahead of ourselves or too down on ourselves. Getting back to Celtics basketball.”
The Celtics also got 14 points from Jaylen Brown, who returned after missing four games due to a hip flexor strain. Brown was 4-of-13 from the field in 37 minutes, adding five rebounds and four assists.
“Felt better physically,” Brown said. “Not all the way there yet, but I was able to throw my weight around and explode a little bit better. So I felt better today, but it’s a long journey, a long season. Taking care of your body is important.”
Brown added, “They shot the ball well and we still figured out a way to win, so I’m glad this was my return game.”
