Atlanta Hawks vs Boston Celtics Prediction & Match Preview - April 18th, 2023 | Game 2, 2023 NBA Playoffs

The Boston Celtics host the Atlanta Hawks in Game 2 of their first-round series on Tuesday. The Celtics won comfortably in Game 1. The Celtics led the whole way and held off a late Hawks rally to a 112-99 win.

Trae Young and the Hawks will desperately want to win as they don't want to go two games down against the reigning Eastern Conference champions. However, they have a task ahead of them.

Where to Watch

The game will air at 7 p.m. EDT on NBA TV and will stream on NBA League Pass.

Game Preview

The Celtics were by far the better team this season and they showed that in Game 1. The Celtics dominated the Hawks defensively, forcing the Hawks to just 5-of-29 from 3-point range. Young was ineffective with 16 points on 5-of-18 shooting, going 1-of-5 on 3-pointers.

Boston used a balanced effort to cruise to a win. Three Boston players scored 20+ points and the team went 13-of-33 from the 3-point line.

Game 2 should be another favorable matchup for the Celtics. Boston went 34-18 against conference opponents this season and are on a roll. They are 8-2 in their past 10 games, averaging 118.1 points per game on 48.7% shooting during that span.

Jayson Tatum is also having an incredible season, averaging 30.1 ppg on 46.6% shooting. He is the sixth-leading scorer in the NBA. Tatum scored 25 points in Game 1.

The Celtics went 3-0 against the Hawks in the regular season and won comfortably in all three games. The Hawks will need a much better performance from Young to win a road game in this series.

Atlanta’s lack of depth was also an issue in Game 1. The Hawks bench scored a mere 24 points between four players. They will need more contributions from their reserve players.

Game Prediction

Celtics 117 - Hawks 99

Spread: Celtics (-10)

Total (O/U): 230.5

Moneyline: Hawks (+400) vs Celtics (-550)

The Hawks have not been able to compete with the Celtics all season. Boston’s dominance will continue on its home floor. The Hawks have no one to slow down Tatum and he should lead the Celtics to a 2-0 series lead.