1st quarter:
An almost unprecedented hot start—three consecutive made field goals—gave Boston an 9-1 lead out of the gate that forced Atlanta to burn an early timeout. The Celtics went on to score 24 points in the first five and a half minutes on 9-11 shooting and 6-7 from deep. Tatum accounted for three longballs while Grant Williams pitched in an early five points as a starter.
The scoring spree stalled immediately after as an early 21-7 lead shriveled to 24-18. Atlanta’s switch to zone defense caught Boston off guard, which sent Brad to dig deeper into the bench.