The Boston Celtics play host to the Atlanta Hawks at the TD Garden on Sunday afternoon. Here’s a Celtics vs Hawks Prediction.
Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks have been in decent shape as they've split their last eight games overall and they will be aiming for a third straight victory after blowing past the lowly Wizards in a 136-108 road win last night. Trae Young led the team with 26 points and 10 assists, De'Andre Hunter added 20 points on seven of 11 shooting, Bogdan Bogdanovic added 15 points off the bench while Dejounte Murray tallied 11 points with 10 assists and four steals. As a team, the Hawks shot 51 percent from the field and 18 of 37 from the 3-point line as they took control of the contest with 70 points in the first half and they didn't take their foot off the gas until they led by as many as 36 points.
Atlanta Hawks Player Facts
- Trae Young ranks 2nd amongst qualified players for assists per game (10.6) this season.
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Boston Celtics
Meanwhile, the Boston Celtics have been in great form as they've won seven of their last nine games overall and they will be hoping to bounce back here after getting thrashed by the Magic in a 113-96 road loss on Friday. Jayson Tatum led the team with 26 points, Jaylen Brown added 18 points on six of 22 shooting while Derrick White chipped in with 16 points on three of nine shooting. As a team, the Celtics shot just 40 percent from the field and seven of 29 from the 3-point line as they dominated the early going to take a 12-point lead, but they couldn't maintain that pace, scoring just 40 points in the second half to suffer their worst loss of the season so far.
Boston Celtics Player Facts
- Jayson Tatum ranks 3rd in the Eastern Conference amongst qualified players for points per game (27.8) this season.
- Jaylen Brown ranks 15th in the Eastern Conference amongst qualified players for points per game (21.4) this season.
Matchup/League Facts
- The Celtics rank 1st in the league for point differential per game this season (+8.4).
- The Celtics rank 1st in the league for opponent free throw percentage this season (73.4%).
- The Hawks rank 30th in the league for Q1 opponent points per game this season (32.3).
- The Hawks rank 2nd in the league for points per game this season (124.9).
Peter's Pick
The Hawks are still missing Jalen Johnson for this one, while the Celtics have ruled out Kristaps Porzingis and they have Jrue Holiday listed as questionable. The Hawks haven't been at their best lately, but they looked great in their blowout win over the Wizards last night and they're coming up against a shorthanded Celtics coming off a bad loss. You can make an argument for either side here, but I think the Hawks are getting too many free points in this spot.
AUTHOR: Peter Tran
