The Boston Celtics will shoot for a 2-0 series lead this coming Tuesdsay, while the Atlanta Hawks look to make it 1-1 before flying back home for Games 3 and 4. Check out our preview of this Hawks vs Celtics matchup in the 2022-23 NBA Playoffs. There are more basketball previews to read here at TopBet, so feel free to look around and make bets once you’re ready.
The Hawks’ flat first half in Game 1 doomed their chances to score a 1-0 series lead against the Celtics, who won the series opener, 112-99. The good news still for Atlanta is that it’s not yet the end of the world for them. Trae Young can certainly come up with a more efficient performance this Tuesday than the one he had in Game 1 in which he only scored 16 points on 5/18 shooting. Over their last 10 games, the Hawks have averaged 122.2 points, 46.9 rebounds, 27.4 assists, 8.5 steals, and 5.0 blocks. They are also 6-2 against the spread in their last eight games after a loss of more than 10 points.
Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum are a problem, and the Hawks realized that again in Game 1. Brown scored 29 points and grabbed 12 reboinds in the series opener, while Tatum posted 25 points and 11 boards. It appears that Brown and Tatum will be having their way agianst these Hawks for the rest of the series, but even if they stumble, the Celtics still have plenty of other weapons to rely on like Derrick White, who got 24 points in Game 1. Over their last 10 games, the Celtics have averaged 118.1 points, 48.6 rebounds, 28.4 assists, 6.0 steals, and 6.2 blocks while holding their opponents to just 104.2 points. The Celtics are also 5-0 against the spread in their last five games overall.
