Celtics vs. Hawks preview, TV, playing time, injury report

The Celtics host the Hawks in Boston on Tuesday for the first of four group games in the soccer-like tournament, which then moves on to the eight-team knockout round.

Boston hosts the still-undefeated Cavaliers on November 19th and then visits the Wizards (November 22nd) and the Bulls (November 29th) – the latter of which may well remember last year’s group final when the Celtics advanced with 27 wins followed up with the -point win they needed to reach a point difference tiebreaker.

The group games still count as regular season games, and it’s a good time for the Celtics to face Atlanta, which has lost seven of nine games after an 0-2 start. That includes a 30-point home loss to the Celtics on November 4th.

Atlanta’s task is made all the more difficult by the fact that star guard Trae Young is already out due to tendinitis in his right Achilles tendon.

Both Al Horford (left big toe sprain) and Jayson Tatum (left ankle sprain) are listed as questionable to play.

When: Tuesday, 7 p.m

Where: TD Garden, Boston

TV, radio: NBCSB, WROR-FM 105.7

Line: Boston-15. O/U: 227.5.

HAWKS

Season balance: 4-7. vs. spread: 3-8. Over/Under: 9-2

Last 10 games: 3-7. vs. spread: 3-7. Over/Under: 8-2

Celts

Season balance: 9-2. vs. distribution: 6-5. Over/Under: 4-6, 1 push

Last 10 games: 8-2. vs. spread: 5-5. Over/Under: 3-6, 1 push

TEAM STATISTICS

Points per game: Atlanta 116.1, Boston 120.2

Points allowed per game: Atlanta 121.6, Boston 109.6

Field goal percentage: Atlanta .464, Boston .451

Opponent field goal percentage: Atlanta .472, Boston .460

3-point percentage: Atlanta .351, Boston .362

Opponent’s 3-point percentage: Atlanta .399, Boston .336

Statistics of the day: Hawks guard Dyson Daniels leads the NBA with 30 steals, nine more than the next closest player and 12 ahead of Celtics leader Jayson Tatum

Notes: In addition to Young, the Hawks are also without Bogdan Bogdanovic (right hamstring tendinopathy), Kobe Bufkin (right shoulder subluxation), De’Andre Hunter (family reasons), Vit Krejci (right adductor muscle strain) and Cody Zeller. . . Jaylen Brown had 14 points and was 4 of 13 from the field in 37 minutes Sunday at Milwaukee, his first game after missing four points with a hip flexor strain. . . The Hawks have lost six straight at TD Garden, most recently winning on Feb. 17, 2021, behind a 40-point game from Young.