Celtics survive 18-point deficit in 1st, beat Hawks 109-106

BOSTON (AP) — Jaylen Brown had 24 points and 10 rebounds to help the Boston Celtics overcome an 18-point, first-quarter deficit against the NBA’s worst team and beat the Atlanta Hawks 109-106 on Friday night.

Marcus Smart started in place of the flu-ridden Kemba Walker and scored 15 points, adding nine assists and hitting a 3-pointer that gave Boston a four-point lead with 43 seconds left. Gordon Hayward scored 18, and Enes Kanter had 14 points and 11 rebounds.

Trae Young scored 28 points with 10 assists for the Hawks, who beat Orlando on Monday to snap a 10-game losing streak. But Daniel Theis blocked his potential game-winner in the final seconds, setting off a scramble that resulted in a brief shoving match.