Al Horford and the Boston Celtics were eager to wrap up the series against the Atlanta Hawks. The 36-year-old hits a vital late three-pointer as the Celtics edged the Hawks 128-120. Series closed on 4-2. After blowing a 13-point lead in the fourth quarter of Game 5, the Celtics were determined not to repeat the mistake.
Trailing by three points, Boston went on an 11-0 run, with three consecutive 3-pointers, including the decisive one by Horford, imitated by Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Tatum capped it all off with a dunk, putting the Celtics up 121-113 with 2:07 left. But first it was battle.
Now, the Celtics will face the Philadelphia 76ers, much more rested after the 4-0 at the Brooklyn Nets. Race 1 is scheduled for Monday evening in Boston.
Brown led the Celtics with 32 points, followed by Tatum with 30. Former Hawks player Horford contributed 10 points, 12 rebounds, two steals and three blocks. After hitting a 3-pointer from the corner, the player also responded to a Hawks fan taunting him.
Marcus Smart also stood out for Boston, with 22 points and great control of the offense late on, including a decisive pass for Horford’s shot. Trae Young, on the other hand, shut down in the second half of the game, still finishing with 30 points and 10 assists. Dejounte Murray returned to action for the Hawks after a suspension, but scored just 14 points.