After losing Games 3 and 4 to the Boston Celtics in back-to-back nailbiters, the Atlanta Hawks decided to make it easy on themselves in Game 5, dominating their first-round opponent in a 110-83 blowout.
After a back-and-forth first half, the Hawks ran away with the game in the third, outscoring the Celtics 42-23 in the period. Five different Atlanta players scored in double figures, including Mike Scott, who led the team with 17 points on 7-for-9 shooting off the bench. Kent Bazemore and Jeff Teague added 16 points apiece, while Kyle Korver and Paul Millsap chipped in 13 and 10, respectively.
The Celtics offense could never seem to find a rhythm, hitting just 37 percent of their shots and turning the ball over 20 times. Isaiah Thomas, the team's leading scorer throughout the series, finished with just seven points on 3-for-12 shooting before leaving the game in the fourth quarter with a mild ankle sprain. Marcus Smart, who had been on a hot streak of late, was also just 2-for-7 from the floor. The Hawks, meanwhile, hit 44 percent of their shots and sank 14 threes as a team.
The series now heads back to the TD Garden in Boston with Celtics looking to stave off elimination. Tip-off is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. ET on Thursday.