Boston Celtics ‘showed the championship level they can reach’ in Game 1 win vs Hawks

The Boston Celtics showed a “championship level they can reach” in their 112-99 victory over the Hawks in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference postseason’s No. 2-No. 7 matchup according to CBS Sports’ Jasmyn Wimbish.

“The Celtics showed the championship level they can reach in the first half, as they built a 30-point lead going into the break thanks to dominant play on both sides of the ball,” Wimbish wrote. Wimbish did note Atlanta’s comeback amid Boston’s defensive lapses in discussing why that level wasn’t kept up in the second half.

“In the second half, they showed that they still have some issues playing with big leads, as the Hawks made them sweat before ultimately losing by 13,” Wimbish wrote.

Joe Mazzulla sends strong message on Boston Celtics Game 1 win

Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla was very positive after the team’s Eastern Conference quarterfinals win — saying that it was actually a good thing that his guys dealt with a blown lead and drop-off in intensity while noting that the team did lose its way on the point-scoring side of the ball.

“I just thought we lost our offensive purpose,” Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla said. “Playing passive offense instead of just keeping it moving and being aggressive and maintaining that level of pace we had in the first half. I’m not concerned at all. This team has played great for the entire season. That’s going to happen, and it’s actually good we went through it. We had to feel that and it’s important that we learn from it. For us to be able to get a win and at the same time know we can play better is good.”

While the Celtics were outscored by 17 in the second half, they still managed to cover the spread and easily handle business in their home floor in Game 1, winning by double-digits in a message-sending series opener.