The Boston Celtics hoped to get the Atlanta Hawks to say “3-2-1 Cancun!” by the end of Game 5 of their first-round series, but by the end of the game, it looked more like the Celtics were the team who just got sent fishing, losing the tilt 119-117 with a half-hearted effort that fell apart late in the fourth and recalled the pathetic collapse of the team against the Golden State Warriors in the 2022 NBA Finals.
Jaylen Brown put up 35 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists, with unsatisfactory games from Jayson Tatum (19 points, 8 boards, and 8 assists), and Derrick White (18 points, 5 rebounds) making Boston look like a team that will be a footnote in the story of whoever actually wins the title this season.
