The Celtics built a 30-point lead at halftime and were able to take Game 1 against the Atlanta Hawks. Jaylen Brown (29), Jayson Tatum (25), and Derrick White (24) lead the way for the Celtics.
BOSTON -- Jaylen Brown set the tone right from the jump.
On the Boston Celtics' first defensive possession of the playoffs, Brown picked off a Trae Young pass and muscled in a layup at the other end to open Game 1 against the Atlanta Hawks at TD Garden.
The message was clear: The Celtics plan to clamp down on defense in the 2023 postseason.
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SIGN UP HERE They got off to a terrific start in that department Saturday, limiting the Hawks to 38.8 percent shooting (17.2 percent from 3) and their third-lowest scoring output of the season in a 112-99 victory to take a 1-0 lead in the teams' first-round playoff series.
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Leading the defensive charge were Boston's two defensive leaders: Marcus Smart and Robert Williams.
The former racked up three steals and two blocks in his return from a three-game absence due to a neck injury, while the latter delivered the highlight of the afternoon with an engulfing block of Hawks forward Jalen Johnson in the second quarter.
"We were very intentional about our personnel," head coach Joe Mazzulla said of the Celtics' defensive effort. "We were very physical, and just detailed in their tendencies and our execution. It’s just something that we have to look to continue."
The Hawks may not offer much resistance in this series, but they do present a stiff defensive challenge for Boston as the NBA's third-best offense in the regular season (118.9 points per game). Atlanta provided a brief reminder of its offensive potential with a 31-point third quarter that trimmed the Celtics' 30-point lead to 12.
Boston buckled down in the fourth quarter, however, with Smart making a pair of excellent defensive plays down the stretch to squash the Hawks' comeback attempt.
"He has the presence to be the quarterback on the defensive end," Mazzulla said of Smart. "We’re able to change matchups, and when he’s doing that, our defense is special. It starts with him, and I think he brought it both physically and mentally on the defensive end, which was huge for us."
Defense was critical to Boston's run to the 2022 NBA Finals; they boasted a 106.3 defensive rating (second only to the Milwaukee Bucks) and held opponents to 105 points or fewer in 13 of their 24 games. The Celtics rarely reached that level defensively during this regular season, relying on a high-octane offense to put teams away.
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But their effort Saturday was reminiscent of last year's smothering squad.
"Setting the tone defensively was key," Brown said after the game. "Just letting them know from the jump it's gonna be a long night."
The Celtics' offense is much-improved from the 2022 playoffs, as evidenced by Derrick White pouring in 24 points and five players hitting multiple 3-pointers. Their focus for the remainder of this Hawks series should be replicating the defensive effort they displayed Saturday -- an effort that could be the different between a playoff exit and Banner 18.
