The Boston Celtics vs. Miami Heat first-round series seemed inevitable, but the Atlanta Hawks spoiled the party and toppled the Heat in the play-in tournament. Celtics fans may have preferred to face Atlanta instead of Miami, and that seemed like a brilliant choice, as they beat the Hawks easily in the first two contests of the series.
Two wins in TD Garden were incredible, but the Celtics had trouble sustaining their defensive intensity in Game 3. The Hawks scored 130 points, a far cry from one of the top defenses in the NBA. Derrick White and Jaylen Brown were in foul trouble, but that must not be an excuse for Boston's defense to have a massive drop-off in a playoff game.
With Game 4 at State Farm Arena, the Celtics must take care of business and then finish it in Game 5 on Tuesday night. The Philadelphia 76ers have wrapped up their series and are waiting for the hotly contested East Semifinals with the Celtics.
Let's now make some bold Celtics predictions for Sunday's Game 4 in Atlanta.
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3. Jayson Tatum drops a 40-piece
In the first two games, Jayson Tatum was fantastic, but he was not required to contribute a ton because Boston won comfortably. Anyone could argue that White was the Celtics' best player in the first two games, but Tatum will need an explosion in Game 4 to quiet down the Hawks' rowdy crowd. Tatum's Game 3 stat line could have been better, and his impact on both ends was not immense.
Tatum must feast on offense and continue hunting the matchups he will dominate. He shot an abysmal 9-of-22 from the field in Game 3 and committed four crucial turnovers. His double-double of 29 points and 10 rebounds looks nice, but he will elevate those numbers in Game 4 in a meaningful way.
2. Robert Williams will have an enormous impact
Over the series' first three games, Robert Williams III was sparingly used by head coach Joe Mazzulla. He has shifted to the second unit in Mazzulla's playoff rotation, which is a brilliant option for the squad. Williams will have a huge Game 4, as he will record over 10 rebounds and bother a plethora of shots at the rim for the Hawks.
The defense will be a significant emphasis for Boston due to the horrific showing in Game 3, so Williams' energy and desire to contain the Hawks will be in full effect. The 48-29 rebounding advantage of Atlanta in the previous contest must be mitigated, and Williams will be the primary reason why the rebounding and defensive numbers will improve in Game 4.
1. Jaylen Brown will hit over five 3-pointers
In Game 2 and Game 3, Jaylen Brown scored less than 20 markers, which is uncharacteristic for someone with his talent. Brown was hampered by fouls in Game 3, as he committed five personals in only 33 minutes of action. With the smaller Dejounte Murray or slower John Collins as the primary defender on him, he must dominate that matchup, similar to his magnificent Game 1 performance.
Atlanta's offense has been impressive, but their defense has glaring holes, and Brown must pounce on that in Game 4. Despite the loss, the Celtics got everything they wanted on offense by scoring 122 points. With Brown being more effective and efficient, Jayson Tatum will have the perfect complementary piece to catapult themselves to the East's much-awaited matchup with the Philadelphia 76ers,
Trae Young and Dejounte Murray will get their numbers again in Game 4, but Saddiq Bey, Bogdan Bogdanovic, and Jalen Johnson cannot combine for 40 points in any game for this series anymore.
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