Celtics vs. Hawks 2016 final score: Atlanta shuts down Boston to take 2-0 series lead

The Atlanta Hawks couldn't buy a bucket, but neither could the Boston Celtics. The Hawks stymied the Celtics en route to a 89-72 win to take a 2-0 series lead in the first round playoff series on Tuesday night. Kyle Korver led the way for the Hawks with 17 points as the Hawks held Isaiah Thomas to 16 points.

The Hawks came out firing in Game 2 with Korver looking like the 2014-15 of himself, hitting shot after shot, and took a 24-3 lead to start the game. They went cold in the final five minutes of the first quarter, but still led 24-7 — the seven points was the fewest in a first quarter in NBA Playoff history. The Celtics didn't completely fold in the second, but trailed 43-28 at the half.

Neither team could hit a shot all night — the Hawks were 39 percent from the field and the Celtics shot 31.8 percent — but the Hawks kept the Celtics from making one of their patented third quarter runs and led 61-46 after three. They held on in the fourth on their way to a 17-point win.

The Celtics missed the injured Avery Bradley and Kelly Olynyk, but will have an opportunity to bounce back in Game 3 on Friday in Boston.

Here's three things we learned

An unconscious Kyle Korver makes the Hawks offense a different beast

The Hawks jumped out to a 24-3 lead in this game thanks to Korver. He made four of his first five threes — he finished the game 5-of-7 from deep — as the Hawks looked like a well-oiled offensive machine. When he's hitting shots like he did in the first half, it opens up the lane and allows Jeff Teague to be even better. The Hawks are still a good team when Korver isn't hitting at an otherworldly clip, but they can hang with anyone when he is. Korver shot 39.9 percent from three this season, well below the 49.2 percent he shot last year when the Hawks went 60-22 in the regular season. Last year, however, the Hawks sputtered down the season's home stretch and in the playoffs. They're following a different trajectory this season, and with Korver hitting threes again, they are primed and ready for a playoff run.

The defense isn't too bad, either

When the Hawks sprinted through the regular season in 2014-15, the offense was the focus. This year, however, the team defense has been the anchor. The Hawks had the second-best defensive rating in the NBA behind the Spurs — and it's the reason they are a more dangerous team this postseason. Isaiah Thomas couldn't get a clean look at the hoop all night. The Hawks, and Paul Millsap in particular, swarmed his every move.

The Celtics scored only seven points in the first quarter and 28 points in the first half. They improved as the game went on, but were unable to ever get going. The Celtics did miss multiple open looks, but it was a stifling Hawks defense that put this game out of reach.

The Celtics miss Avery Bradley more than we thought

In the first quarter, it seemed like Bradley was the only player keeping the Celtics together. The Celtics couldn't get anything going offensively and the Hawks had dissected the defense. It's not as if Boston have some outstanding offense without Bradley, but he's the team's second-leading scorer, and Marcus Smart isn't the answer. Without Bradley, the Hawks can collapse on Thomas much more aggressively — the Celtics had no shooters. They were 17.9 percent from deep on the night.

Aside from the 24-3 Atlanta run to begin the game, the Celtics played well on the defensive end of the court. Their offense, however, was in shambles without a second option for a struggling Thomas. Unfortunately for Boston, they're going to have to find some other options with Bradley sidelined for the rest of the series.

Source : http://www.sbnation.com/