Here are the takeaways as the Celtics rallied in the second half to beat the Hawks 105-95, claiming their eighth straight win.
1. At some point this season, we may run out of adjectives for the Celtics’ defense, but for now descriptors like “hard-nosed, dogged, tough-minded, smothering, shape-shifting” all feel appropriate. On Sunday, in a contest between the NBA’s third-best offense and its second-best defense, the defensive-minded Celtics came out with an impressive win. The Hawks’ point total matched the Celtics’ defensive rating over the last 10 games: A staggering 95.4 points per 100 possessions, which is first by a mile.