The Falcons had their moments in those first two games, but they simply didn’t have enough fortitude or firepower to withstand an avalanche as relentless as the Boston Celtics.
Boston cruised to a hard-fought 119-106 win in Game 2 Tuesday at the TD Garden to take a 2-0 series lead. This was generally more competitive than the former, yet the latter margin was the same.
Jason Tatum led with 29 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists. Derrick White poured in 26 shots on 11 of 16, Jaylen Brown added 18, and Malcolm Brogdon and Al Horford finished with +20 each. White, in particular, was a catalyst at critical moments.
The end result doesn’t tell the whole story, but it does show how dangerous the Celtics can be even after a slow start.
The Hawks jumped out to a 22-11 edge, as Trae Young and De’Andre Hunter got an early pace and hit shots that Atlanta missed for the better part of Game 1.
Robert Williams responded with three straight balls, driving 11-0 to tie the game. Brogdon nonchalantly banked in half court as time expired, helping the Celtics take a 28-25 lead through one.
It felt like the Celtics got the Hawks’ best shot, but they tossed it aside like it was nothing and took over the drive.
Sam Hauser grabbed a layup 3 and played great defense early in the second. Brogdon remained aggressive and attacked the basket. Tatum missed a bunny and immediately responded with a series of buckets. Boston took advantage of the turnaround and built a 61-49 halftime edge.
The Celtics shot 54.3 percent from the field and had five blocks. Tatum led the way with 18 points and seven rebounds in the first half, White added 12, and Brogdon finished +21 with six assists in 16 minutes. Sometimes, the plus-minus sign can be misleading, but in this case, that wasn’t the case.
Horford hit a shot from one end and a drain 3 from the other to push the margin to 79-59 halfway through the third, but DeGunt Murray caught fire late on to cut the Celtics’ lead to 90-81 by three.
Marcus Smart also had a solid quarter with the Celtics, and Jaylen Brown found rhythm, but Atlanta didn’t go away quietly.
Bogdan Bogdanovic caught fire early in the fourth, as the margin fluctuated between single and double digits, but White held the Celtics steady. Celtics fans sang “MVP” cheers to him, as he helped guide Boston to victory.
Every time the Celtics needed a game, they did — the mark of a team more than capable of winning it all.
Game three is Friday night at 7 p.m. in Atlanta.