Celtics-Hawks takeaways: C's defense falls short in Game 3 upset loss originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The brooms won't be coming out in Atlanta, after all.
The Atlanta Hawks threw their best punch Friday night in Game 3 of their first-round playoff series against the Boston Celtics, and the result was a 130-122 Hawks victory at State Farm Arena that trimmed the Celtics' series lead to 2-1.
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Trae Young (32 points, nine assists and six rebounds) led an offensive awakening for the Hawks, who put seven players in double figures while shooting 56% from the floor and hitting 15 of 34 3-pointers.
Jayson Tatum paced the Celtics with 29 points, 10 rebounds and five assists and Marcus Smart stepped up with 24 points and eight assists, but the C's couldn't get stops when they needed to down the stretch.
The loss means the series is coming back to Boston at least one more time for a Game 5 on Tuesday. The Celtics will look to right the ship Sunday night in Atlanta in Game 4 and prevent the Hawks from tying the series.
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Here are our biggest takeaways from Friday's defeat.
Celtics' interior defense goes missing
Six Boston players combined for 12 blocks in Game 2 as the Celtics dominated the paint. Game 3 was the polar opposite.
The C's didn't record a single block in Friday's Game 3, allowing the Hawks to outscore them 54-40 in the paint. After hitting a barrage of 3-pointers in the first half, Atlanta got to the rim at will in the second half, with big man Robert Williams caught out of position on several occasions.
The Celtics employed drop coverage on Young, trying to prevent his drives to the basket while giving him mid-range floaters. That strategy wasn't very successful, as Young hit several of those floaters and found the open man when Boston pressed up in coverage.
The Hawks deserve credit for excellent shot-making, but this was still a subpar defensive performance by the Celtics' standards.
Marcus Smart steps up on offense
The silver lining for the C's? Despite their (lack of) defensive effort, they still only lost by seven and had a legitimate chance to win down the stretch.
Smart was a big reason why. Boston's starting point guard poured in 24 points — his most since Game 3 of the 2022 NBA Finals — while hitting a team-high five 3-pointers and adding eight assists.
Smart also added three steals on the defensive end, looking like the highly-impactful floor general who played a key role in Boston's 2022 playoff run.
While Derrick White and Malcolm Brogdon have garnered headlines with their strong play of late, Smart provided a reminder Friday night of the impact he can make in the postseason.
Grant Williams makes the most of his series debut
Grant Williams had to wait until Game 3 to see his first action of the series, but he showed no sign of rust.
After not playing Williams in Games 1 and 2 in Boston, head coach Joe Mazzulla brought the big man off the bench in the first quarter — and Williams responded by immediately sticking a 3-pointer.
Williams finished with an efficient 14 points, going a perfect 4-for-4 behind the arc in 18 minutes of action.
Boston delivered an underwhelming effort overall, but Williams deserves a ton of credit for staying ready and stepping up when his number was called.
If he can be effective off the bench, that would give Mazzulla nine legitimate rotation players and bolster the team's strong depth.
D is the key
Offense hasn't been an issue in this series for the Celtics, who are averaging 117.7 points through three games. They're still facing little resistance from a Hawks defense that allowed the fifth-most points in the NBA this season.
The reason why Boston lost Game 3 was because of its defense, which slipped up after two strong performances at TD Garden. If the Celtics can tighten up on the defensive end in Games 4 and 5, they should have no problem winning this series.
