The Boston Celtics will aim for a three-game winning streak on Tuesday when they face the visiting Atlanta Hawks in the first NBA Cup group stage game for both teams.
All 30 NBA teams are divided into six groups of five within their conference for the NBA Cup, with the Celtics and Hawks placed in East Group C alongside the Cleveland Cavaliers, Chicago Bulls, and Washington Wizards.
The Hawks are coming off a 125-113 home loss to the Bulls on Saturday, which followed a narrow 122-121 defeat to the Detroit Pistons on the road the night before. The Bulls outscored the Hawks 65-43 in the second half, including a 35-15 advantage in the fourth quarter.
Atlanta’s Clint Capela recorded 20 points and nine rebounds, while Jalen Johnson also scored 20 points. The Hawks have lost seven of their last nine games after starting the season 2-0.
Boston, on the other hand, overcame a 17-point first-half deficit to defeat the Milwaukee Bucks 113-107 on the road Sunday. Jayson Tatum led the way with 31 points, 12 rebounds, and six assists, as the Celtics started the second half on a 12-0 run and held the Bucks to 38 points in the final two quarters.
The Celtics also saw a strong performance from Jaylen Brown, who scored 14 points in his return after missing four games with a hip flexor strain. Brown played 37 minutes, shooting 4 of 13 from the field, and contributed five rebounds and four assists.
