The Celtics dropped Game 3 to a hot-shooting Atlanta Hawks team, but they had their chances to win a few different times in the fourth quarter. John Karalis of Boston Sports Journal looks at all the little things that swung this game in Atlanta’s favor, and explains why this series is following the script perfectly, and what should be coming next.
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Locked On Celtics is a daily Boston Celtics podcast by Boston Sports Journal beat writer John Karalis. It’s an inside look at the C’s from a former professional basketball player who is at practices & games.
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45 Comments
☘️☘️ Thanks John for the podcast
Just lack of defensive play like first two games. I mean when you shoot and make that many 3 point shots and yet give up 74 points in a half to a team that couldn’t break 110 for any game against you… that’s the answer… defense wins games in most sports and in basketball it’s no different
Not really, you could have never predicted that they would start off hitting those many 3's, but then be so bad on defense. Atlanta played well on offense.
I'm gonna say this even before I watch your podcast, John, and see if we agree. The Celtics were simply asleep at the wheel, especially defensively! Possibly, Young also took to heart what folks have been saying because he and the Hawks overachieved, and the Celtics just simply didn't have game! I don't think we'll see this again, but ya gotta give the Hawks credit. They deserved this win!
I didn’t get to see all of it but, what I got was JB being off and Horford getting killed in drop coverage. Not worried. Said that they’ll win in 5.
Once again, like the previous day, I just don't understand why the Celtics continue to put Brown on the corner, and almost run no plays for him. Easy to lose a game, when the coach does nothing to give one of your better players the ball. You can post Brown or Tatum, yet Mazulla completely ignores that….why?
The C's got to conformably with the Hawks
If you think this is the best Hawks can play then you’re in for a rude awakening. They didn’t shoot efficiently at all but still won. Boston needs to do better defending the guards
This was that outlier hawks performance that we all thought would happen at some point.
Saw this one coming. But anyway my take:
1)Horford’s been the X factor & didn’t do much tonight. Got taken advantage of in the paint.
2) 0 blocks! When’s the last time you’ve seen that on a C’s box score? The defense tonight was just awful
3) Missed free throws
4) Smart had a decent game but shouldn’t take twice as many shots as White, who got into foul trouble
Anyway I’m not concerned. They just need a much better effort defensively. Letting ATL shoot 56% is not going to get it done. Thank you John. 🙏🏻☘️🔒
If they continue to be lazy forthose rebound im concern
This guy is a serious dork. Wasn't the 38%fg 17%3pt game 1 also an outlier for the Hawks? Logic much?
Our defense was basically non-existent last night. But can we stop playing that horrible drop coverage in the 4th Q and leaving Al on an island? After what happened in the finals last year and Steph was torching us with that high pick and roll I don't want to see that defense in a close game
Off night?? Celtics made 21 or 22 3's had 16 made threes at halftime. Celtics played like the Celtics, hawks just brought their A game.
Marcus kept chucking 3 pt bricks whenever the Celtics closed the gap. But the Marcus media will never call him out on his atrocious shot selection.
I hope I don’t have to see you in a ugly Hawks trae young jersey.
Anybody else find the Hawks public address announcer insufferable? Yelling all kinds of stuff all the time.
Celtics made 21 3s and still lost. That's some cause for concern. If Trae Young gets going, and the rest of the Hawks follow. Boston is gonna be in a dog fight
I hope Jaylen cleans up his sloppy play. His decisions to pass the ball at the last second was horrible in this game and most games, he just dribbles himself into trouble and his bail out pass is always a poor decision, one in particular was meant to go to Grant and Grant was like WTF was that?. I'd rather Brown out on the wing taking catch n shoot corner 3s and looking for cuts and alleys.
He is not a good playmaker and he needs to settle down a bit.
Sorry but he was very frustrating today
Another note. I didn't see Timelord and Al share the court much.
Wheras they were in the last 2 games.
I hope Joe sticks with the double big lineup, even if it means bring Muscala into rotation
Hawks just played a little better than the C’s but I’m not worried. I think they’ll win next game and come home to finish up.
I guarantee the hawks will win 1 more game and take the Celtics to at least 6 games. Meanwhile the 76ers and nuggets are sweeping teams better than the hawks. There is something we are missing here. Jaylen Browns hand is one of the things. Rob Williams seemed hurt after that fall. And other stuff
Celtics played so lazy. Yeah it was a predictable win for the Hawks but the Celtics energy was worrisome…they were like this all year.
Biggest outlier is 44% 3s by Boston? Still lost.
Hi John, are you worried about the fact that when we play tougher teams later in the playoffs, that the laziness of the defence and the over commitment to the 3s could affect our championship chances?
I feel like, just as in regular season, when the Celtics perceive the opponent to be weak, they play very lazily. They take quick 3s that more often than not miss and they end up with these results, scrambling in the 4th to eke out a win but ultimately losing. However this is the playoffs. I am a bit worried that it is not the opponent but maybe a lack of concentration and how that may affect things in a 7 game series.
Go Friars! No, not worried. I know the default nowadays is to panic or rant, but c'mon. Game 4 is officially a "no excuses" game though.
There are lots of possible games of the past this reminds me of. But given the opponent, it FIRST reminded me a bit of Game 4 in '86, against…that's right, the Hawks. Let's go back in time… some differences: that C's team was up 3-0, and as dominant as they were, that Hawks team had some CRAZY athleticism. But they were young, and yes, the gap had already been clearly shown in the previous three games–not unlike now. Similar to this, not that the C's didn't try, but…the Hawks had something to prove, had a home crowd, and finally were able to cut loose that athleticism. So…Larry went 5-19, with an EFG of .263 (if Tatum did this talk radio would go thermonuclear), the Hawks bench outscored the C's 34-13 (11 of that Wedman); outrebounded 19-3….and Spud Webb (yes, the guy who's my height) did his best Payton Pritchard routine off the bench for 21-6-12. In short, minus the typical disappearing act of Kevin Willis anytime he faced McHale, the Hawks played a PERFECT game ('Nique for 37 and some dude named Doc Rivers for 16-6-6) and won by 12. Sound a bit familiar? BTW, the C's closed out the series, winning Game 5 by… 33.
the Celtics haven’t really had a bad game yet either, Hawks can still win another even if they don’t repeat this performance
this is a game that could have used some energy off the bench from PP & Moos. Pritchard is an instant energy boost & Muscala is longer & possibly more athletic than Grant.
Silver called in a loss for the C’s to give Embiid’s knee time to heal.
“If jb, tatum, al, derrck white, rob williams etc. play better we win” … ?? Same for the Hawks in Boston
Stop lying you're very concerned 😟
Dre and JC will play better, there won't be 18 turnovers the next game, I don't see a fix for Boston, u guys didn't see it coming, now we have the paint and perimeter under control, Boston is 1 dimensional, the only thing u control is the perimeter, u guys get nothing in the paint, we have made u guys a totally perimeter team, 1leg, we have the perimeter game, paint game, and hustle game, also Boston has zero answer to the hawks bench gang, check and mate, u didn't see it coming 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣😎 Snyder just knocked your asses the fuck out😂😂😂😂
Jaylen Brown isnt 100% and Jayson Tatum still doesnt know how to take over a close game. he gets hot & drops 40 on u when theyre rolling but when u need a couple buckets down by 4 with 50 seconds left mans just disappears.
#btw I loved your analysis of the shooting variance, I even posted it in hawks groups, locked on sports 👍
Live by the 3, die by the 3 ATL HOE
We lost Friday put that behind us now and just win Sunday and Tuesday I no we can do it go Boston
This was for the Hawks ticket holders
Honestly, unless it's a must win game, I prefer them to lose these kind of games where they play poorly. Do not feel fine with doing the minimum possible to win games because better teams will punish you.
Thanks for the pod!!
2 things..Their defense did not stop anybody in this game. Second, this is what happens when Marcus Smart takes matters into his own hands. He took the second most shot attempts on the team.🤦♂️ The problem with this guy is that he thinks he is a scorer in the NBA level. And he doesnt think. I mean when youre hot its okay to shoot but when youre not (esp in the second half) learn how to pass up shots. Too much mamba mentality from a PG who has never average 20ppg in a season. Know your abilities and capabilities.
The diference between this game and last Hawks were able to take advantage of ofensive rebounds
This series will go 7
We aren't winning shit thus team is just to inconsistent when it matters most
Defense and rebounding cost us this game but I’m not worried we will still win the series I just hope we lock in better
They'll not shoot like this again, no worries they did make a lot of tough shots