The Atlanta Hawks head home with newfound energy and the return of a missing piece of their lineup, knowing a win in Game 6 on Thursday will square their first-round playoff series with the Boston Celtics.
Atlanta won 119-117 in Boston on Tuesday despite playing without starting guard Dejounte Murray, the team’s second-leading scorer, who was suspended for a game for bumping a referee at the end of Game 4. The win cut Boston’s series lead to 3-2.
An Atlanta victory would force a deciding Game 7 on Saturday at Boston.
The Celtics are trying to not make too much of the setback.
The Celtics could start by finding a way to tamp down Atlanta guard Trae Young, who hit the game-winning 3-point shot with 2.8 seconds remaining. With 7.3 seconds left, Young took the inbound pass, faked a drive and stepped back well behind the 3-point line for a 30-footer over Brown.
Young responded with a steely-eyed shiver.
Young scored 38 points, giving him three consecutive games with at least 32 points and 11 career playoff games with at least 30. He played all 24 minutes of the second half and 44 minutes for the game.
Murray’s return should give Snyder more substitution freedom. Murray is averaging 25.3 points and 5.8 assists in the playoffs.
Boston got another outstanding game from Brown, who scored 35 points and is averaging 35.6 points in the series. But Jayson Tatum, who entered the game averaging 28.5 in the playoffs, was limited to 19 points.
The teams split the first two games of the series at Atlanta. The Hawks won 130-122 in Game 3, but Boston won 129-121 in Game 4.
Boston swept the three-game regular-season series with the Hawks and won twice in Atlanta.
