The Atlanta Hawks finally caught fire. After four games of mediocre to sub-par shooting, the Hawks started finding the bottom of the net in the second quarter and never looked back as they blew out the Boston Celtics 110-83 in Game 5 to take a 3-2 series lead in the first round of the playoffs.
Celtics vs. Hawks 2016 final score: Atlanta finds its stroke in Game 5 blowout of Boston
After a dismal first quarter, the Hawks sprinted past the Celtics in a 110-83 win to take a 3-2 series lead.
Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Jeff Teague had 16 points to lead the Hawks, who had five scorers in double figures. They held Isaiah Thomas, the NBA's leading postseason scorer, to seven points. Plus, Thomas suffered a mild ankle injury in the fourth quarter of the blowout.
The Hawks didn’t start on fire, only scoring 15 points in the first as the Celtics fought their way to a five point lead. Eventually, they caught fire, though. They hit six threes in the second quarter sprinted past the Celtics to a 47-39 lead at the half.
There was no slowing from there — the Hawks outscored the Celtics 42-23 in the third quarter to blow open the game. They kept pouring it on, holding on in the fourth as they coasted to a 27-point win.
Atlanta will have a chance to close out the Celtics in Game 6 on Thursday.
Here are three things we learned:
The Hawks shooting woes had to fade at some point
The Hawks started 6-for-34, but finished the second quarter making 11 of their last 12 shots. Heading into Game 5, they were shooting 40.1 percent in the playoffs, well below the 45.8 percent they shot in the regular season. They were even worse from three, hitting only 27.6 percent from deep. Part of that had to do with Boston’s defense, but it was also due in part to missing shots. Of the 28 misses in that 6-for-34 stretch to begin the game, many Atlanta misses were shots that NBA players usually make. Once they started sinking those shots, they looked like the team that finished the season with 17 wins in their last 24 games. If there’s a bright side for the Celtics, it’s that the Hawks probably exceeded the mean with their second-half barrage. Atlanta should continue to shoot better than they did through the first four games, but they can’t be expected to do what they did on Tuesday. If so, the Celtics don’t stand a chance.
Isaiah Thomas disappearing is the last thing the Celtics need
Not only did Thomas injure his left ankle when the Celtics were down by 31, he had his worst outing of the playoffs — by a long shot. Leading the league in postseason scoring heading into Game 5, he failed to score a point in the first half against the Hawks. The Celtics were able to stay in the game in the first quarter even as Thomas struggled, but that was because the Hawks were playing so poorly. Thomas has been the driving force behind the Celtics all season — same goes for the postseason — and if he's not playing his best, the Celtics aren't either. The offense stalls when he's off, and if this injury is worse than the Celtics are making it sound — they said it was a "mild sprain" — the Hawks might as well start getting ready for the Cleveland Cavaliers in round two.
The Hawks need this Jeff Teague if they’re going to keep this season going
When the Hawks made their second quarter run, Kent Bazemore was hitting shots, but Teague was running the show. The Hawks have had an internal struggles on whether to go with Teague or Dennis Schroeder at the point, but Teague is still the key to the Hawks' success. With 16 points and three assists, he didn't put up absurd numbers, but he helped calm the Hawks when they needed it most. Now, he has to keep it going — not only if they're going to beat the Celtics, but if they're going to make a run at the Cavaliers.
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