Hawks vs. Celtics: Game 6 Score and Twitter Reaction from 2016 NBA Playoffs

The Atlanta Hawks were the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference last season and saw their title dreams come to an end because of the Cleveland Cavaliers. Now they get a chance to return the favor after they eliminated the Boston Celtics in Game 6 of their first-round playoff series on Thursday, 104-92. 

The Hawks clinched the 4-2 series win against Boston with the first victory for a road team in the entire series:  

All five Atlanta starters scored in double figures, as the team shot 38-of-74 from the field (51.4 percent) and gradually pulled away during the course of a 39-point third quarter. Paul Millsap led the way with 17 points, eight rebounds and four blocks, while Kent Bazemore and Al Horford each scored 15 points. 

As for the Celtics, they were down by double digits for the majority of the second half and didn't get enough offense outside of Isaiah Thomas. He scored 25 points and dished out 10 assists, but only Jae Crowder reached the 15-point mark among his teammates. Crowder was also a mere 5-of-15 from the field. 

Despite the loss, the Celtics received some positive news before tipoff when Thomas was in the starting lineup following an ankle sprain in Game 5, per NBA on ESPN. Thomas helped the Celtics jump out to a 9-5 lead in the early going, but so did the fact the Hawks started 2-of-8 from the field.

Atlanta's official Twitter account indicated a plan was in place after the Hawks overcame a similar slow start to eventually win Game 5:  

That initial Celtics lead didn't last long, as the Hawks capitalized on Boston's mistakes to take a 13-9 advantage. Bill Doyle of the Worcester Telegram & Gazette said the Celtics started 4-of-17 from the field, and Brian Robb of Boston.com highlighted the fact Atlanta's frontcourt was creating problems for the home team:

The Hawks rode that momentum to a 20-17 lead at the end of the first quarter, and the only real concern was Jeff Teague's ankle. Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution said the point guard was just getting re-taped when he went back to the locker room.

Atlanta continued to dictate the early pace in the second quarter, and Robb questioned Boston's strategy after it fell behind by eight: "I know that Turner and Thomas have to rest at some point, but resting them together once again is a very slippery slope."

Things got even worse for Boston as the Hawks opened up a 34-21 lead in the middle of the second quarter. Dan Wolken of USA Today tweeted that "the Hawks defense has been spectacular so far," while the team had some fun with the performance:

At least Crowder found a way to get past the defense:

Even with Crowder's dunk, the Hawks defense was overwhelming in the first half and took a 41-33 lead into halftime. Still, SB Nation's Peachtree Hoops realized the "margin should probably be higher given Boston's 28 percent shooting."

The Hawks wasted little time in the second half making sure that margin increased, building a 53-36 lead with less than 10 minutes left in the third quarter following a Horford three-pointer. Matt Moore of CBS Sports described Boston's plight:

Things continued to go downhill for Boston when Crowder picked up his fifth foul. Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe said the Celtics were "really in trouble" after falling behind 56-38. That appeared to be the case as Atlanta continued to pour it on as it took an 80-59 advantage into the fourth quarter. 

SB Nation's CelticsBlog summarized the proceedings for Boston:

Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report at least looked for a silver lining for the Celtics:

The game was essentially over early in the fourth quarter, and Mike Petraglia of WEEI.com reflected on Boston's failures in this series:

The Celtics climbed back to within less than 20 points when Crowder hit a three-pointer with just more than six minutes left to make the score 94-76. However, the overall offense stalled when the game was still in doubt, and Bailey offered one reason why: "Celtics' best player being a 5'9" volume shooter was going to catch up with them eventually. I like Thomas, but they need another option."

To Boston's credit, it continued to fight down the stretch. Thomas connected on an and-one with 3:16 left in the game to trim the deficit to 95-83 after trailing by more than 20 for large portions of the fourth quarter. Thomas didn't even seem to look at the basket during his shot, via:

Wolken weighed in on the sudden charge from the Celtics:

Atlanta appeared tight, and Teague even picked up his fifth foul, but time was not on Boston's side. Even with the late run, the Celtics only made the final score more respectable and never truly threatened to win the game.

Former Hawks superstar and high-flying dunker Dominique Wilkins wanted to get in on the action in the final minute:

Unfortunately for Wilkins, he didn't get that chance. However, he did get the opportunity to watch his former team ice the game away at the free-throw line and clinch the 104-92 victory.

What's Next?

The Celtics will now shift to offseason mode following Thursday's loss. Boston probably overachieved in 2015-16 and was dealt a difficult blow when Avery Bradley went down with a hamstring ailment in the playoffs, but it could make a deeper run next year if its adds an impact piece or two to what is already a solid core.

HBO's Bill Simmons suggested as much when he said: "Thanks to the 2015-16 Celtics for an entertainingly lovable season. Now let's win the lottery and sign a superstar."

As for the Hawks, they now face the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers in the second round. It was ideal for Atlanta to close the first round out Thursday instead of waiting for Game 7 at home because Cleveland has been resting comfortably since it finished a sweep of the Detroit Pistons on Sunday.

From a talent standpoint, the Cavaliers are loaded with LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love and experienced role players, but there is a revenge factor here for the Hawks. They didn't put up much of a fight in last year's Eastern Conference Finals and were swept away in four games.

Atlanta's players likely thought about that series all offseason, which means they will have plenty of motivation as they look to avoid a similar fate this year. 

Postgame Reaction

While Boston did make a late spurt, it was clear Atlanta was the superior team. Celtics coach Brad Stevens recognized that, per Jake Fischer of Sports Illustrated: “We gotta get a lot better. It's pretty evident.”

There may have been a talent disparity, but Thomas discussed the game like someone who put every last effort into it, per Doyle: “I gave it my all so that’s why it hurts that much more. I wish I could have done more, but it just happened to be like that.”

Marcus Smart praised his team for that effort level, per Himmelsbach: “We just played hard. Our fight. I think that’s what everybody’s going to remember, is our fight.”

Horford even complimented Boston for not giving up on the other side, per Tom Westerholm of MassLive: “We learned from before with this team that no lead is safe.”

Teague talked about the battle with his point guard foe in Thomas, per Vivlamore: “It was a one-man wrecking crew basically. They’ve got some good players over there but they all feed off of what he does.”

Fortunately for the Hawks, they no longer have to think about Boston. Next up is that showdown with Cleveland, and Kyle Korver thinks his team is better prepared than in 2015, per Vivlamore: “I think we are a better team than last year. I really do.”

Atlanta will have the opportunity to prove it on the floor, which is all it can ask for after last season's sweep.