Hawks Defeat Celtics in Second Half Surge

Atlanta pulls away late to hand Boston a tough road loss.

Mar. 31, 2026 at 4:01am

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A cubist-style painting depicting a basketball game broken down into overlapping geometric shapes and planes of color, representing the dynamic action and competition of the match.The Hawks' second-half surge overwhelmed the Celtics in this hard-fought conference matchup.Atlanta Today

The Atlanta Hawks overcame a tight first half to defeat the Boston Celtics 112-99 on Monday night. The Hawks used a dominant third quarter to build a double-digit lead and then held on in the fourth to secure the victory at home.

Why it matters

This win keeps the Hawks in the hunt for a top playoff seed in the Eastern Conference, while the Celtics missed an opportunity to gain ground on the conference leaders.

The details

The game was close throughout the first half, with the Hawks holding a slim 54-51 lead at the break. But Atlanta came out of the locker room firing on all cylinders, outscoring Boston 35-20 in the third quarter to take control of the game. Hawks guard Trae Young scored 12 of his game-high 28 points in the decisive third period.

  • The game was played on Monday, March 31, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia.
  • The Hawks outscored the Celtics 35-20 in the third quarter to pull away.

The players

Trae Young

All-Star guard for the Atlanta Hawks who scored a game-high 28 points.

Jaylen Brown

Starting guard for the Boston Celtics who had 22 points in the losing effort.

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What they’re saying

“Our defense really set the tone in that third quarter. We knew we had to come out strong in the second half and we did just that.”

— Trae Young, Hawks Guard

“They just outplayed us in that third quarter. We have to find a way to be more consistent for 48 minutes against the top teams in this league.”

— Jaylen Brown, Celtics Guard

What’s next

The Hawks will look to build on this win as they continue their push for a top playoff seed, while the Celtics will try to rebound in their next game.

The takeaway

This game highlighted the Hawks' ability to make key adjustments and take control of a close game in the second half, while also exposing some consistency issues for the Celtics against elite competition.