The Celtics got off to a poor start, turning the ball over frequently and missing easy jumpers. They were able to keep it close for a while, but the Celtics' first and second quarters were catastrophes. They came out of halftime and, despite some early Hawks runs, were able to cut the Hawks' advantage in half with a 30-18 third quarter. In the fourth quarter, Boston had a chance to take the lead, but the Hawks closed the game with a huge surge.
The six-game victory run is the second-longest in the NBA and the longest in the Eastern Conference. Atlanta went to 2-0 against the Celtics this season after holding an opponent to less than 100 points for the eighth time this season. The Hawks improved to 13-11 at home, and they have now defeated Boston three times in a row in Atlanta.