“Celtics Win Game 6 and Advance to Second Round vs 76ers After Canceled Collapse in Atlanta”

After the collapse at the end of game-5, the Celtics respond with personality, play the important possessions much better and find success in the sixth match of the series which opens the doors of the second round to them.

The match

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Boston beats Atlanta 128-120, running away in the final thanks to the plays of Horford, Tatum and Smart. The Celtics thus earn, with the 4-2 in the series on the Hawks, the fascinating challenge with the 76ers which will start on Monday in Boston. Fresh from the sensationally wasted opportunity on Tuesday, with the Hawks able to recover a deficit of 13 lengths in the fourth period to place the sensational comeback, the Celtics roll up their sleeves to avoid the uncertainty of game-7, but the hosts do not they have no intention of collaborating and respond blow by blow to the production of the usual Brown-Tatum couple.

The key

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In a balanced match, a Murray recovering from disqualification in game-5 fails to affect, at least in the first half. Young and Hunter did much better and the Hawks held on to the away side, coming into the break just one length late. Murray begins to pick up pace in attack in the second half, the hosts also try to put the arrow and take the lead, but Boston stays there and keeps the level of concentration high. We play point by point until the second part of the last quarter. With the Hawks ahead by three lengths, Tatum and his companions decide that the time has come to place the decisive lunge. The triples from Horford, Brown and Tatum arrive, then the former Duke star closes, with a peremptory dunk, the 11-0 run that gives the guests +8 and puts Atlanta with its back to the wall. Murray’s baskets try to give hope to the Hawks fans but an excellent Smart, who doesn’t miss a reading in the most important moment of the match, responds with two very heavy baskets, sending Atlanta on vacation and sending the Celtics to the second round.

Atlanta:Young 30 (4/16, 4/12, 8/8 tl), Hunter 20, Collins 16. Rimbalzi: Okongwu 11. Assist: Murray 11.

Boston: Brown 32 (7/17, 6/8), Tatum 30, Smart 22. Rimbalzi: Tatum 14. Assist: Tatum 7.