Hawks vs. Celtics: Game 4 Score and Twitter Reaction from 2016 NBA Playoffs

The Boston Celtics were able to overcome Paul Millsap's playoff career-high 45 points en route to a 104-95 overtime win over the Atlanta Hawks in Game 4 at the TD Garden on Sunday.

The series is now tied at 2-2 as it shifts to Atlanta for Game 5 on Tuesday.

Isaiah Thomas followed up his 42-point performance in Game 3 with a team-high 28 points. He also hit the game-tying layup with 15 seconds remaining in regulation to help force overtime. His three-pointer from the corner with 30 seconds left in the extra period gave Boston an insurmountable 102-95 lead.

It didn't seem as though a Boston win was plausible early on, as Millsap stole the show:

The 10-year veteran was on fire in the first half, dropping 26 points and grabbed eight rebounds as the Hawks seized a 48-46 lead. Atlanta's social media department wished there was more of him to go around:

Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution pointed out that Millsap was making up for a poor showing in the first three games of the series:

He came out firing in the second half as well, scoring seven straight points in the third quarter to stretch the Atlanta lead to 56-46:

The Hawks led by as many as 16 and held an 11-point lead with 1:37 left in the third quarter following Dennis Schroder's first made three-pointer of the series.

However, a blistering-fast 8-0 run by Boston to end the quarter cut the deficit to 73-70 and helped bring the crowd to its feet.

New England Patriots star tight end Rob Gronkowski seemed to be enjoying himself:

Less than a minute into the fourth, the Celtics had a 74-73 lead after two straight Jonas Jerebko field goals opened the quarter.

CBS Sports summed up the Celtics' mood at that point:

However, the Hawks immediately proceeded to go on a 7-0 run, capped off by a Millsap three-pointer, to take an 80-74 lead with 9:06 to play in regulation. 

Boston countered with a run of its own to secure an 85-84 lead with less than five minutes to play.

Just when it looked as though the Celtics were in control with a four-point lead in the final minute, Teague nailed back-to-back three-pointers to put his team back in front. Thomas then drove in for the game-tying layup before the Hawks failed to get off a final shot in regulation.

Five Celtics scored in double figures, including Marcus Smart, who had 20 points off the bench, and Evan Turner, who chipped in with 17.

Smart was key to the fourth-quarter comeback, scoring 11 of his 20 points in the frame, including back-to-back threes halfway through the quarter, via the Celtics:

Pablo S. Torre of ESPN.com joked that he liked what he saw from Smart when he wasn't flopping:

Millsap wasn't the only Hawks player to score in the contest, but it often felt like he was. Teague and Korver were the only other Atlanta players in double figures, with 13 and 10 points, respectively, while Millsap accounted for 47.4 percent of his team's scoring despite failing to hit a shot in overtime. 

The Celtics made it a best-of-three series with the win, but the Hawks have the advantage of two remaining home games (if needed). Both teams have played evenly thus far, but Atlanta may have the edge with a chance to play in front of its home crowd if the series goes to a Game 7.

Postgame Reaction

Boston head coach Brad Stevens praised Smart after the game for his play, per the Celtics' Twitter account: "Marcus’ shots were huge and keeping us in it," he said. ""His aggressiveness, his competitiveness, his spirit – our team needs it."

Thomas, who knows a thing or two about playing well, also felt like Smart was a key to victory, per the Celtics: "He's going to be special in this league. He's only 22 years old, so imagine in a few years what he'll be like."

Smart, who seems to be as confident off the court as he is on it, was happy with his play, according to the Celtics: "It was one of the best rhythms I've had all year."

The former Oklahoma State Cowboy was a big reason for the win, but without Thomas' late heroics, the Celtics would be down 3-1 in the series. However, the 27-year-old praised his teammates following the win, according to the Celtics.

"We continue to fight, we keep believing in each other, and stuff usually plays out in our favor," Thomas said.

They almost didn't have the chance to keep fighting as Atlanta had the ball in the final seconds of regulation. However, Teague dribbled at the top of the key until there were about three seconds remaining and lost the ball on the way up before he could get a shot off. 

Hawks head coach Mike Budenholzer addressed the play out of the timeout saying, "...you want to exhaust the clock in that situation," per Mike Petraglia of Boston's WEEI radio:

Credit should go to Boston's defense on that play, as the Celtics forced Teague into a tough shot. They also held Millsap in check down the stretch, thanks in part to Smart's coverage of him.

"I just pressured him and contested every shot he took," Smart said, per the Celtics.