Here's something that we have heard before; The Celtics came up short last night in Atlanta. The Hawks put together a huge third quarter, and cruised through the rest of the game on their way to a 110-83 win in game five of the first round. The loss extended the Celtics losing streak in Atlanta to seven games
So, why can't the Celtics win in Atlanta? Celtics fans should not be all that worried about this streak, considering it dates back to last season, so half of it is irrelevant. The last three games should definitely concern them, though. Other than game one, the Celtics have looked completely outmatched when they have played in Atlanta during this series. However, the Celtics had the upper hand when the two teams played in Boston for game three and game four.
I don't think this is as much about the Atlanta crowd being too much to handle as it is Boston just struggling on the road. Atlanta's fan base doesn't exactly have a reputation of being one of the more rowdy crowds. The real problem is that the Celtics are just not built as a team that can win games on the road in the playoffs. They have a lot of streaky shooters like Marcus Smart, Jonas Jerebko, and Jae Crowder. Those type of players typically perform better at home than away. Isaiah Thomas was amongst the league leaders in free throws attempted during the regular season. He is not going to get as many calls to go his way in another teams building during the playoffs.
If the Celtics want to win the series, they will have to win at least one in Atlanta. The Celtics have a must win in Boston on Thursday night, and would return to Atlanta for game seven if necessary.
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