The Boston Celtics may be the ones playing in green uniforms, but it’s the Atlanta Hawks that have looked like basketball Kryptonite this week against the boys from Beantown.
The Hawks once again beat the Celtics for the second time in two games at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Ga. The two wins have come by a combined three points.
Jayson Tatum Weighs In On What Boston Celtics Have Learned From Losses to Hawks
Tatum led the Celtics in scoring with 31 points and 13 rebounds on 9-of-22 shooting from the field. But Tatum missed the game-winning shot to end regulation, shooting well short on a contested triple from the left wing with the game knotted at 112.
Jayson Tatum misses the game-winning three.
The Celtics-Hawks game is heading to OT 🍿pic.twitter.com/Ly5IOgZp2N
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) March 29, 2024
Tatum spoke to reporters in the Celtics’ locker room after the game. One reporter asked Tatum about what Boston can take away from the two losses to the Hawks — both of which coming in different but equally devastating fashion.
"I know I've missed a couple this year, so I was like, 'Damn, I gotta be due for one'"
Jayson Tatum gives his perspective on his final shot of regulation pic.twitter.com/AA0dSoZ478
— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) March 29, 2024
Reporter: “What has this team learned about this trip from these two games, blown a 30-point lead. Can you take a positive from this? What have you guys learned?”
Tatum: “Winning is hard. We’ve been fortunate enough to do a lot of being on the other side. It’s just a good reminder you can never take wins for granted. Every single night is going to be tough. Just get ready for Saturday.”
Do The Hawks Losses Mean Anything For The Boston Celtics?
The Celtics have ran away with the NBA’s best record this season. They have an NBA-best six different win streaks of five or more games. They were also 20-2 over their last 22 games before their latest two-game skid against the Hawks.
Even the best teams falter at times and the Celtics are no exception.
But one area that appears to still plague the Celtics is late-game execution. Beyond the fact that Tatum himself has admitted to missing too many crunch time shots this season, the Celtics’ NBA-best offense has shown some chinks in the armor at times.
Credit: Getty Images
In the Celtics’ last four losses, the team has gone back to some iso-heavy actions down the stretch that have led to mediocre shot opportunities. Boston is at its best when the ball is zipping around and the defense is left wondering which member of their five-headed monster of a starting lineup is getting an open look.
On the other hand, the Celtics are also 57-16 through 73 games and have the best net rating (+11.7), point differential (+11.3), and rank top-two in both offensive (1st) and defensive rating (2nd). They’ve looked like the most dominant team in the NBA this season, which can’t be completely overshadowed by a few tough losses.
