03/27/26 09:17:00
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03/27 21:16 CDT Pritchard and Tatum help Celtics beat the Hawks 109-102 without
Brown
Pritchard and Tatum help Celtics beat the Hawks 109-102 without Brown
By BRENDAN McGAIR
Associated Press
BOSTON (AP) --- Payton Pritchard scored 36 points, Jayson Tatum had 26 points
and 12 rebounds, and the Boston Celtics beat the Atlanta Hawks 109-102 on
Friday night.
Jalen Johnson scored 29 points and CJ McCollum had 21 for the Hawks, who came
in 15-2 since the All-Star break, best in the Eastern Conference. Nickeil
Alexander-Walker added 20 points but Atlanta's shooting touch faded as the game
progressed after a strong start.
Boston played without All-Star guard Jaylen Brown, who was ruled out with
Achilles tendinitis.
Behind Pritchard's spark off the bench and a dramatic swing beyond the arc, the
Celtics caught the Hawks after trailing 25-9 in the first quarter. Boston made
seven straight 3-pointers during the second quarter, but Johnson and Atlanta
went into halftime up 60-55.
Fresh off an overtime victory over Eastern Conference leader Detroit, Atlanta
entered the final quarter within striking distance of Boston, which has the
East's second-best record. Tatum had a tough night from the field, missing 16
of 24 shots, yet his spinning drive to the rim gave Boston a 97-86 lead with
7:29 remaining.
After getting fouled on a 3-point attempt with time winding down on the shot
clock, Tatum sealed it with three free throws that gave Boston a 107-99 lead
with a minute left.
The surging Hawks entered Friday with 14 wins in their last 15 games. They had
their three-game losing streak snapped after shooting 39% from the field.
Brown missed his eighth game of the season. The Celtics improved to 7-1 without
their leading scorer. Boston coach Joe Mazzulla said he was day to day.
Up next
Hawks: Host Sacramento on Saturday night.
Celtics: Travel to face Charlotte on Sunday.
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