The Celtics let go of their mid-game lead and ultimately fell to the Hawks 117-116 after a weak defensive performance Tuesday night.
The NBA Cup opener saw 20 turnovers and 20 offensive rebounds in Atlanta’s favor. Despite the absence of Hawks’ star point guard Trae Young, the Celtics continued to let them score during a messy second half.
“We just let them be too comfortable,” Jayson Tatum told reporters. “We didn’t play well enough to deserve the win, and they did.”
Though Boston was up 65-54 after the second quarter, they gave away several layups and “let go of the ropes” in the third quarter, Tatum said.