The Atlanta Hawks play host to the Boston Celtics on Thursday night in a crucial Eastern Conference showdown from State Farm Arena. Boston had a great chance at home to close out the series but a furious finish by the Hawks helped extend things for at least one more game. The Celtics have still won six of eight games between the two on the season but with so much riding on this one, it makes sense that this is the lone game on Thursday's slate. Fans will certainly want to tune in for this showdown, especially with a potential game seven looming.
The Celtics have dominated much of this series but a brutal final minute in game five now has a lot riding on Thursday night's game. An Atlanta win would see them force a game seven but Boston knows that they need to avoid that 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 six. The Celtics can certainly sense momentum trending in the opposite direction, which is a major concern. With plenty of experience on their side, this isn't the first difficult moment this group has had, and won't be the last.
The Celtics have been lucky to remain relatively healthy of late, even if it didn't matter much in game five to have the leg up. Danilo Gallinari (knee) has been out for the whole season but as their only absence, leaves Boston with a depth advantage on Thursday night.
Jaylen Brown's 35 points weren't enough to seal the series tonight in Game 5. https://t.co/EE2IRq1jle
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) April 26, 2023
Boston's balance has been the difference in much of their success this season but the defense needs to show up in a big way. While ranking top five in the league across most defensive categories, they need to find a way to stop Atlanta's explosive dup. On the offensive end, Boston can score as well, though the game five struggles from three-point range can't replicate itself in this one. Jayson Tatum (26.6 ppg) and Jaylen Brown (25.6 ppg) continue to be a problem for Atlanta to slow down but they need the frontcourt to step up. Robert Williams III and Al Horford have struggled to find points in the paint and an improvement in that capacity could seal the series.