3rd Quarter Report
Down four at the end of the second quarter, the Celtics now have the lead. After three quarters, neither squad has the contest in the bag, but the Celtics lead 96-93 over the Hawks. The finale is shaping up to be a lot like these teams’ last head-to-head, which was decided by just one point.
The Celtics came into the match with some extra motivation after the loss they were dealt the last time these two teams faced off. We’ll see if they’re able to flip the script or if it’ll just be more of the same.
Who’s Playing
Atlanta Hawks @ Boston Celtics
Current Records: Atlanta 21-19, Boston 29-12
How To Watch
- When: Saturday, January 18, 2025 at 7 p.m. ET
- Where: TD Garden — Boston, Massachusetts
- TV: FanDuel SN – Southeast
- Follow: CBS Sports App
- Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
- Ticket Cost: $115.00
What to Know
The Celtics will be playing the full four quarters on Saturday, but they’re expected to have things wrapped up well before that. Having just played yesterday, they will get right back to it and host the Atlanta Hawks at 7:00 p.m. ET at TD Garden. The Celtics’ defense has only allowed 108.4 points per game this season, so the Hawks’ offense will have their work cut out for them.
The Celtics took a loss when they played away from home on Wednesday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Friday. They blew past the Magic 121-94. For those keeping track at home, that’s the biggest win Boston has posted against Orlando since February 6, 2022.
The Celtics’ win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Jayson Tatum, who went 12 for 21 en route to 30 points plus six rebounds and two steals. Tatum’s performance made up for a slower game against the Raptors on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the Hawks didn’t have too much trouble with the Bulls on Wednesday as they won 110-94. The victory made it back-to-back wins for Atlanta.
Keaton Wallace was the offensive standout of the matchup as he went 10 for 18 en route to 27 points plus six assists and six rebounds. What’s more, he also posted a 55.6% field goal percentage, which is the highest he’s posted since back in November of 2024. Less helpful for the Hawks was David Roddy’s abysmal 0-5 three-point shooting.
Boston’s victory bumped their record up to 29-12. As for Atlanta, they have been performing well recently as they’ve won three of their last four matches, which provided a nice bump to their 21-19 record this season.
Saturday’s contest is shaping up to be a scrappy game: The Celtics haven’t given up the ball easily this season, having only averaged 11.5 turnovers per game (they’re ranked first in turnovers per game overall). It’s a different story for the Hawks, though, as they’ve been averaging 15. Given the Celtics’ sizable advantage in that area, the Hawks will need to find a way to close that gap.
The Celtics and the Hawks were neck-and-neck in their previous matchup back in November of 2024, but the Celtics came up empty-handed after a 117-116 loss. Can the Celtics avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We’ll find out soon enough.
Odds
Boston is a big 10.5-point favorite against Atlanta, according to the latest NBA odds.
Bettors have moved against the Celtics slightly, as the game opened with the Celtics as a 12-point favorite.
The over/under is 235.5 points.
See NBA picks for every single game, including this one, from SportsLine’s advanced computer model. Get picks now.
Series History
Boston and Atlanta both have 5 wins in their last 10 games.
- Nov 12, 2024 – Atlanta 117 vs. Boston 116
- Nov 04, 2024 – Boston 123 vs. Atlanta 93
- Mar 28, 2024 – Atlanta 123 vs. Boston 122
- Mar 25, 2024 – Atlanta 120 vs. Boston 118
- Feb 07, 2024 – Boston 125 vs. Atlanta 117
- Nov 26, 2023 – Boston 113 vs. Atlanta 103
- Apr 27, 2023 – Boston 128 vs. Atlanta 120
- Apr 25, 2023 – Atlanta 119 vs. Boston 117
- Apr 23, 2023 – Boston 129 vs. Atlanta 121
- Apr 21, 2023 – Atlanta 130 vs. Boston 122
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