The Atlanta Hawks meet the Boston Celtics at State Farm Arena on Thursday night in a critical Eastern Conference matchup.
Boston had a fantastic chance to win the series at home, but the Hawks’ ferocious finish helped extend things for at least one more game. Fans will undoubtedly tune in for this matchup, especially with a potential game seven on the horizon.
Injury Update for Atlanta Hawks and Boston Celtics
The Celtics have dominated the series for the most part, but a terrible final minute in Game 5 has put a lot of pressure on Thursday night’s game.
A win for Atlanta would force a game seven, something Boston knows they must avoid at all costs. They’ve been strong on the road this season, with a 26-17 road record, while a win already in Atlanta should give them some confidence in Game 6.
The Celtics can definitely see momentum shifting against them, which is a significant worry. With so much expertise on their side, this isn’t the first or last challenging situation this squad has faced.
Jaylen Brown had another fantastic game for Boston, scoring 35 points and averaging 35.6 points in the series. However, Jayson Tatum, who entered the game averaging 28.5 points per game in the playoffs, was held to 19 points.
The Celtics have been fortunate to stay reasonably healthy recently, even though it didn’t matter much in game five to have the advantage.
Danilo Gallinari (knee) has been out the entire season, but his absence gives Boston a depth edge on Thursday night.
Atlanta defeated Boston 119-117 on Tuesday despite missing starting guard Dejounte Murray, the team’s second-leading scorer, who was suspended for a game for shoving a referee at the end of Game 4.
The victory reduced Boston’s series advantage to 3-2.
The Atlanta Hawks come home with renewed vigor and the return of a key player, knowing that a win in Game 6 on Thursday will even their first-round playoff series with the Boston Celtics.
Snyder should have more substitute options now that Murray is back. In the playoffs, Murray is averaging 25.3 points and 5.8 assists.
The Celtics may begin by containing Atlanta shooter Trae Young, who sank the game-winning 3-point jumper with 2.8 seconds left. Young grabbed the inbound pass, faked a drive, and moved back deep behind the 3-point line for a 30-footer over Brown with 7.3 seconds left.
Young replied with a steely shiver.
Young finished with 38 points, giving him three straight games with at least 32 points and 11 career postseason games with at least 30 points. He played the whole second half (24 minutes) and the entire game (44 minutes).
A win for Atlanta would force a pivotal Game 7 on Saturday in Boston.
The first two games of the series were split in Atlanta. However, Boston swept the Hawks in a three-game regular-season series, winning twice in Atlanta.
