Boston hangs tough early, but third-quarter collapse proves too much to overcome.
And against one of the hottest teams in the league, it finally caught up to them.
Short-handed and coming off an emotional stretch that included wins over Oklahoma City (59-16) and Atlanta at TD Garden, Boston saw its three-game winning streak snapped in a 112-102 loss to the Hawks.
Playing without Jayson Tatum and Neemias Queta, the Celtics leaned heavily on Jaylen Brown and a patchwork rotation.
And for a half, it worked.
But over the final 24 minutes, the cracks showed.
Here are four takeaways from Boston’s loss:
1. Garza Seized Opportunity Early:
With Queta sidelined, Luka Garza stepped into a larger role and delivered one of his most impactful stretches of the season.
He scored efficiently, controlled the glass, and gave Boston real offensive structure in the first half.
His presence helped stabilize a game that easily could have tilted early, and his +6 in a 10-point loss underscored how much the Celtics missed his production when he sat.
All of this is to say - if Garza is this important to the outcome of any individual game, you’re usually working behind the 8-ball.
2. Jaylen Was Shaking Off Rust:
After missing time with Achilles tendinitis, Brown returned with a full workload.
But not his usual efficiency.
He finished with 29 points, 10 rebounds, and 9 assists, but the path there was rocky.
Through three quarters, he struggled mightily to find rhythm, forcing looks and turning the ball over against Atlanta’s pressure.
The fourth-quarter push helped salvage the stat line, but this was far from the MVP-level version Boston has relied on all season.
Mar 30, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson (1) works past Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) in the second half at State Farm Arena. (Mady Mertens/Imagn Images)3. Third Quarter Flipped Everything:
For a half, Boston matched Atlanta shot-for-shot in a game filled with ties and lead changes.
Then came the third quarter.
The Hawks exploded for 36 points on nearly 70 percent shooting, while the Celtics’ offense stalled completely.
What had been a tight contest quickly became a double-digit deficit, and Boston spent the rest of the night chasing.
On the second night of a back-to-back against another good team towards the top of the Eastern Conference, this should come as no surprise to anyone.
4. Boston’s Fatigue:
The Hawks, winners of 17 of their last 20, looked every bit the contender.
Six players reached double figures, with Jalen Johnson and Onyeka Okongwu leading a relentless interior attack.
Atlanta dominated the paint and capitalized on Boston’s thin frontcourt, outscoring the Celtics 48-30 inside.
Boston made a late push, trimming a 21-point deficit to single digits, but the damage had already been done.
On a night where everything had to be clean, the Celtics simply didn’t have enough.
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Tom Carroll is a contributor for Roundtable, with boots-on-the-ground coverage of all things Boston sports. He's a senior digital content producer for WEEI.com, and a native of Lincoln, RI.