Korver bounces back from 1-for-10 game, sets tone for Hawks offense

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ATLANTA – From the moment he entered the NBA Kyle Korver has been one of the game’s greatest shooters.

So for him to go 1-for-10 shooting in Game 1 of Atlanta’s first round series with Boston, you had to know that he would bounce back and shoot the ball better.

But this good?

Korver’s Jacuzzi-hot shooting in the first quarter set the tone for Atlanta’s 89-72 Game 2 win over Boston.

The series now shifts to Boston where the Hawks come in with a 2-0 series lead.

Atlanta led by as many as 23 points with contributions coming from many.

But there was no mistaking that Korver’s sharpshooting, more than anything else, was at the heart of Boston’s demise on Tuesday night.

He finished with 17 points which included 5-for-6 from 3-point range.

“Korver is one of the main things we talk about every time we walk into this building, every time we walk into the hotel and every time we land in Atlanta,” said Celtics head coach Brad Stevens. “We know that we have to be in his airspace, or else we’re toast.”

Uh, that would be burnt toast by the way Korver scorched the Celtics defense as part of a 21-3 start to the game by Atlanta.

Korver made no secret about wanting to redeem himself after a horrific shooting night in Game 1.

“We all have pride, right?” Korver said. “We want to come out and play better in the second game. I think I was playing pretty focused. I knocked down a couple of shots early, which was great.”

And from the Celtics’ perspective, very predictable.

“You knew coming off of a 1-for-10 game, he was going to have the hunger to make shots and take shots early on,” Stevens said. “We talked about that, but it was just a matter of we lost him a few times.”

Said Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer: “It’s always big for us when he gets going and makes some shots.”

And with his shot-making, the Hawks have a real shot at finishing off the Celtics a lot sooner than most had anticipated.

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