It was the one-two punch that saved Boston at the moment of crisis.

The Boston Celtics won 128-120 in Game 6 of the first round against the Atlanta Hawks of the 2023 NBA Playoffs held at the Atlanta State Farm Arena on the 28th (hereinafter Korean time).

After winning Game 4, Boston took a lead in the series with a record of 3 wins and 1 loss, but after losing Game 5 at home, Boston was rather chased by Atlanta. 

On this day, thanks to the enthusiastic support of the home fans, the game was difficult to solve, allowing the lead until the middle of the 4th quarter, struggling against the offensive of Atlanta, which maintained a good flow throughout the game.

However, Boston’s concentration shined during clutch time. In a situation where they were trailing 110-113, Boston quickly overturned the game through an 11-0 scoring run in 4 minutes, and succeeded in advancing to the second round by calmly beating the opponent. 

At the center was the one-two punch that supported Boston, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. The presence of the two players, revealed on both sides of the offense and defense, was the biggest driving force behind the team’s victory. 

Tatum, who inherited the atmosphere after Al Horford’s come-from-behind 3-point shot, also made a pull-up 3-point shot to widen the score gap. 

In the ensuing defense, Brown perfectly stopped Dizonte Murray’s layup attempt with a blocked shot, and Tatum finished off Horford’s 3-point shot miss with a footback dunk, raising the mood.

In addition, 1 minute and 31 seconds before the end of the game, Brown did not overdo it after breaking through and assisted Marcus Smart’s wedge 3-point shot, making the State Farm Arena as quiet as a library. 

In this playoff, only Phoenix’s Devin Booker (37.2 points) and Kevin Durant (28.4 points) are the only one-two punchers who have combined for more average points than the duo of Tatum (27.2 points) and Brown (26.7 points). 안전놀이터

On this day, Brown, who scored 32 points, including 6 3-pointers, and Tatum, who completed a double-double with 30 points, 14 rebounds and 7 assists, including 4 3-pointers, scored a total of 62 points, leading Boston to a higher stage. 

Boston’s next opponent, who made it through the first round and advanced to the second round, was Philadelphia, who secured a ticket to the second round early after a four-game sweep over Brooklyn.

The first game between the two teams will be held at home in Boston on May 2nd.