Despite being down star big man Kristaps Porzingis, the Boston Celtics hoped to put a stop to their recent spate of uninspired play with a win over the Atlanta Hawks at home on Sunday evening. And a wire-to-wire, 113-103 win they got, though it was earned on the boards and on defense as the Celtics had a dominant rebounding night even as their outside shot evaded the team by and large.
The Celtics’ starters had a solid night, with All-NBA forward Jayson Tatum leading all scorers with 34 points and 9 rebounds. Fellow All-NBA wing Jaylen Brown added another 21 points and 7 boards, while guard Derrick White chipped in 15 points and 11 assists and Al Horford pulled down a season-high 15 rebounds.
Boston got a boost off the bench from forward Sam Hauser (12 points) and big man Neemias Queta in particular, the Portuguese center logging a career-best 7 points and 10 boards.
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It will be intriguing to see what Queta can offer the Celtics in the absence of star Boston big Kristaps Porzingis, who is unlikely to return to action until late next week at soonest.
The Celtics next play the Chicago Bulls at home this Tuesday, Nov. 28.
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