Jaylen Brown poured in a season-high 41 points and the Boston Celtics buried the Atlanta Hawks with a historic second-quarter shooting display in a 132-106 rout Saturday night at State Farm Arena.
What began as a competitive opening period quickly turned into a runaway when Boston erupted for 52 points in the second quarter, blowing the game open and carrying an 82-51 lead into halftime. The Celtics were nearly flawless during the stretch, shooting 19-of-25 from the floor and 11-of-15 from 3-point range.
Sam Hauser spearheaded the perimeter onslaught, drilling all six of his 3-point attempts in the quarter. Brown was just as devastating, scoring from every level and bullying his way to the rim. He capped the half with a powerful drive and flex to the Atlanta crowd, finishing the first two quarters with 29 points as Boston’s dominance became undeniable.
The Celtics topped the 100-point mark midway through the third quarter and pushed their lead to as many as 43 before emptying the bench.
Hauser finished with a season-high 30 points and tied his career best with 10 3-pointers. Anfernee Simons added 14 points, knocking down four shots from beyond the arc, as Boston’s balanced attack overwhelmed Atlanta.
The Hawks, who dropped their third straight following a West Coast trip and the recent trade that sent Trae Young to Washington, struggled mightily on offense. Onyeka Okongwu led Atlanta with 21 points, but the team shot just 37 percent from the field.
Up next:
Boston heads to Detroit on Monday for a marquee matchup with the East-leading Pistons. Atlanta returns home Monday to host the Milwaukee Bucks in its annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day game.
