Here is a glance at how the Hawks fared against the Celtics during the regular season.
Nov. 13: Celtics 106, Hawks 93
The Hawks were without Mike Budenholzer for the first matchup in Boston. The head coach abruptly left the team for a family emergency involving his wife, and assistant coach Kenny Atkinson ran the game. The Hawks fell behind by 15 points in the second half, but Dennis Schroder and Mike Muscala led the Hawks on a 12-0 run in the fourth quarter to get within three points. The Hawks got no closer. Isaiah Thomas led the Celtics with a game-high 23 points, 17 coming in the second half, and 10 assists. Paul Millsap had 14 points and eight assists for the Hawks.
Nov. 24: Hawks 121, Celtics 97
The Hawks retired the No. 55 of newly enshrined Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo in Atlanta. The Hawks outscored the Celtics 40-25 in the fourth quarter, including an 18-3 run. Kent Bazemore missed his fourth game with a right ankle sprain, and Tiago Splitter was out with a sore right hip. Millsap led the Hawks with 25 points and nine rebounds. Jeff Teague added 16 points and nine assists. Avery Bradley led the Celtics with 25 points, including four 3-pointers.
Dec. 18: Hawks 109, Celtics 101
The Hawks staged a fourth-quarter rally to clinch a victory in Boston. The Hawks went on a 17-5 run late in the fourth quarter to turn a six-point deficit into a six-point lead. Millsap (12), Al Horford (10) and Schroder (nine) combined for 31 fourth-quarter points. Schroder played most of the fourth after Teague tweaked his ankle, and he scored 22 points. Horford added 21 points and 10 rebounds. Thomas led the Celtics with a game-high 29 points.
April 9: Hawks 118, Celtics 107
The Hawks concluded their regular-season home schedule with an important win in Atlanta. The Hawks moved ahead of the Celtics for third place in the Eastern Conference and clinched the head-to-head tiebreaker. Millsap had a monster game, with a season-high 31 points, 16 rebounds, five blocks, two assists and one steal. Teague added 24 points, and Bazemore had 21 points. The Hawks allowed 71 first-half points, but just 36 second-half points. Marcus Smart led the Celtics with 19 points.
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