The Celtics won the battle of attrition.
The Celtics, with nine healthy players, proved too much for the Hawks, with one more available player. The Celtics used a fourth-quarter run to pull away from the Hawks in a 115-104 victory Wednesday night at TD Garden.
The Hawks are reeling as they lost for the 10th time in the past 11 games.
The Celtics went on an 11-3 run in the fourth quarter and took a 103-96 lead 4:04 remaining. Jeff Green hit an uncontested 3-pointer to cap the run.
Lou Williams couldn’t convert a four-point play with 3:31 remaining that could have brought the Hawks within three points. After a Bayless basket, Jeff Teague turned the ball over in the lane. The Hawks appeared to gather a Celtics miss on the ensuing possession but Kyle Korver was called for a loose-ball foul. Gerald Green made a pair of free throws for a 107-99 lead with just over two minutes remaining. Two more free throws by Brandon Bass and the Celtics had a 10-point advantage.
The Hawks were without big men Paul Millsap, Pero Antic and Gustavo Ayon, all back in Atlanta on the mend. At one point in the fourth quarter the Hawks had DeMarre Carroll and Cartier Martin playing the power forward and center positions as they went with a three-point guard rotation.
The Celtics did not have centers Jared Sullinger and Kelly Olynyk among others unable to play.
The Hawks (26-31, 9-20 road) were led by Teague with 26 points. DeMarre Carroll tied a season-high with 24 points, including 17 in the first half. Korver added 17 points and Williams had 13 points. Korver extended his NBA-record streak to 126 games with a 3-pointer.
The Celtics (20-39, 12-17 home) snapped a five-game losing streak.
The Hawks had no answer for Jerryd Bayless who had a game-high and season-high 29 points. He led six Celtics in double-figures. Rajon Rondo had a double-double of 22 points and 11 assists.
The Celtics took an 81-79 lead into the final period after a back-and-forth third quarter. Teague kept the Hawks in the game by scoring 10 straight points in the period.
The Celtics took a 58-56 lead into halftime after they erased a 15-point first-quarter deficit. The Hawks took the double-digit lead, 21-6, as they opened the game making their first six shots and were 9 of 12.
The Celtics went on a 25-6 run between the first and second quarters to erase the deficit and lead by as many as six points.
The Hawks begin a five-game western road trip Sunday in Phoenix.
