The second-seeded Boston Celtics took care of business on their home floor against seventh-seeded Atlanta in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series. The Celtics jumped out by as many as 30 points at one point before taking a 112-99 win. Now they look to build a commanding 2-0 lead in the series before the action shifts south to Atlanta. Don’t miss our NBA betting preview of this prime-time playoff game.
NBA Playoffs: Eastern Conference Quarterfinals Preview
Atlanta Hawks at Boston Celtics, Game 2
When: Tuesday, April 18, 2023, 7:00 pm ET
Where: TD Garden, Boston
TV: NBA TV
Radio: WZGC 92.9 FM Atlanta / WBZ 98.5 FM Boston
Live Stream: Sling TV
NBA Odds: Atlanta +10.5 / O/U 230.5 // Atlanta +400 / Boston -550
Why should you bet on the Hawks?
The Hawks would have a hard time getting off to a worse start in Game 2 than they did in Game 1. The opener saw them shoot just 33 percent overall from the floor and score just 44 points. They did improve to 44 percent shooting in the second half, but it wasn’t enough to chip away the entire deficit. Dejounte Murray was the Hawks’ top scorer with 24 points, and he also had eight boards and six assists. Trae Young, the team’s leading scorer during the regular season, only managed 16 points. The Hawks did mount a 32-12 run at one point during the second half to draw within 11, but they need to start Game 2 with that energy, rather than falling into a gaping hole first.
Atlanta now has an 0-4 record against Boston this season, and shooting 17 percent from behind the arc in Game 1 was a major contributing factor in the loss. Young was just 5 of 18 overall form the floor and clanked four of his five shots from distance. The odds of them shooting this poorly in back-to-back games is small, though, and one bright spot was the fact that the Hawks only turned the ball over 11 times.
Why should you put your money on the Celtics?
The Celtics roared out of the gate with 74 points in the first half, staking themselves to that 30-point advantage at the intermission. They did let off the gas in the third quarter and had to find that higher gear again in the fourth to salt away the win. Jaylen Brown was the top screr with 29 points and a dozen rebounds, and Jayson Tatum chipped in 25 points and 11 boards. Derrick White added 24 points in the win. During the first half, Boston shot 60 percent overall as a team, but they dropped to 34 percent for the second half.
The Celtics found a successful formula when they funneled the offense through Tatum and Brown and played a defense that kept on switching. However, turning the ball over 16 times is not part of a winning performance every night, and if the Celtics don’t come out shooting lights out, the Hawks will make the first half much tougher this time. If you like the Celtics, you see them playing a more complete game this time, rather than taking the third quarter off.
Final Score and Prediction
The Hawks are a better team than what we saw in the first half, and they will come out better prepared for the onslaught from the Celtics. However, I’m not sure they have the defense to contain Tatum and Brown when their own shooters cool off. I predict a final score of Boston 110, Atlanta 104.
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