10 takeaways from the Celtics flipping the script vs Hawks

#1 – Early game trouble

As it was highlighted by Gray Washburn in the press conference after the game, it’s rare for Joe Mazzulla to call multiple timeouts so early in the game. However, pretty quickly, the Celtics were falling behind, especially because of their offense. As the Celtics head coach said, there were too many “empty possessions.”

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Looking back at the film, most of the shots prior to that second timeout were contested pull-up shots or floaters, but rarely open opportunities or layups at the rim. The Hawks did a great job of contracting the space without leaving too much gap to the shooters.

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Right after the timeout, it was yet another missed pull-up from the mid-range, but this time the Celtics crashed the glass and extended the possession for a Hugo Gonzalez three-pointer.

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#2 – Quick adaptation

To get back in the game, the Celtics needed to find a way to the rim. For that, they used the Hawks’ coverage against them. As the Hawks were willing to switch over screens, the Celtics multiplied the cuts and increased the movement while obtaining the matchup they wanted.

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On the play below, the screens on the strong side of the court create a switch that gives Luka Garza a big size advantage on Gabe Vincent. This makes it easier for Derrick White to find him on the cut and finally get a shot at the rim for the Celtics.

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The Celtics used that momentum against the Hawks bench to get going and make the most of the mistakes. Here, Jonathan Kuminga jumps on the fake and White drives right away for another layup. The Celtics were finally able to get deep into the paint.

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The lack of good execution on switches was perfect for the Celtics offense, and showed how deep the Celtics can be. While the starters struggled a little at first, the bench rolled over the Hawks. Here, the switch is completely broken and Garza gets a free roll to the rim.

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This run was fueled by a man who was craving buckets, Payton Pritchard.

#3 – MVPayton the tornado

Of course, it had to be him to conclude the first-quarter run.

But he was just getting started,…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/10-takeaways-celtics-flipping-script-113100171.html

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Publish date : 2026-03-28 11:31:00

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