The Boston Celtics neglected their rebounding and defensive intensity more generally in Game 3 of their first-round series against the Atlanta Hawks on Friday and knew they would need to up their play in those areas to come away with a win in Game 4.
And that’s what Boston did for most of the game to get a 129-121 win and a 3-1 series lead against the Hawks save for some loose play in the third frame as seems to be the Celtics’ style. Big games from Jayson Tatum (31 points, 7 rebounds, 3 blocks), Jaylen Brown (31 points), and Robert Williams III (13 points, a career-high 15 boards, 2 steals, and 2 blocks) carried the day for the Celtics, with Marcus Smart (19 points), Derrick White (18 points), and Malcolm Brogdon (14 points) picking up the slack.
