Dominant second and third quarters propel Celtics over the Hakws, secure 15th straight win, 110-99


Searching for their 15th straight victory, the Boston Celtics fought past the Atlanta Hawks and came out on top, 110-99.

The Celtics started off the game slowly. That gave the 3-12 Hawks a chance to jump out to an early ten-point-lead only half way through the first quarter. It wasn't until the second frame that Boston finally started to pick up some momentum, outscoring Atlanta by nine to close out the half, but still trailing at the break.

That was fueled by Marcus Morris, who jumped out of the gate in the second quarter knocking down a three, and then a fader the next possession to claw the Celtics back into the game. Then Marcus Smart picked up where he left off, drilling back-to-back threes to make it a four point game. The Hawks surged back to pull away, but Boston closed out the half strong and trailed by six at the horn.

The third was more of the same for the C's, and it was punctuated by some highlight plays from Jayson Tatum. The rookie stepped onto the floor with no points in the first 24 minutes but poured in 14 in the third quarter alone. That dominance gave the C's their first lead since the opening minutes.

The fourth was a battle for the two teams as the lead went back-and-forth like a ping pong ball, but the Celtics were able to finally shove back the pesky Hawks and secured win number 15 on the season, matching their NBA-leading win streak. 

Four of the five Celtics starters finished with double figures in points, led by Kyrie Irving and Jaylen Brown who finished with 30 and 27 respectively. 

Follow Topher Lane on Twitter, @Topher_L. Photo credit: USA TODAY Sports