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Jul 6, 2018; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Detailed view of a NBA Summer League logo in the Cox Pavilion during a Brooklyn Nets game against the Orlando Magic. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Instant Takeaways: Hawks Fall Short Against Celtics in Final Summer League Clash

Originally posted on Atlanta Hawks on SI
By Kahlil McCuller | Last updated Jul 20, 2025 8:30 PM ET

In today's Summer League game, the Atlanta Hawks played against the Boston Celtics, where the Hawks' starters didn't play, and the team as a whole struggled to get things going on both sides of the court. Let's get into the takeaways from today's action.

1. Lack of consistency on offense

The Hawks struggled with consistency on offense from the start, as they went down 8-0 in the first quarter, and then struggled for the rest of the way. In the first half, the Hawks finished shooting 40% from the field and had just as many turnovers (eight) as assists (eight); this did ignite a 12-2 run by the Celtics, leading to a 17-point lead in the second quarter. The Hawks did not move the ball well in this one, as they only had 18 assists and finished the first half with eight, meaning they had only 10 assists in the entire second half which many came off garbage time scoring. They finished shooting 43.1%, 33.3%, and 80.0% as a team.

12-2 run for the Celtics to open the 2nd quarter against the Summer Hawks.

ATL down 17.

The offense has been... ineffective.
— Brad Rowland (@BTRowland) July 20, 2025

2. Defensive coverage led to easy attempts for Boston

Throughout this game, the Hawks struggled on defense, giving up numerous easy scoring opportunities both inside the paint and from three-point range. The Celtics had more shot attempts from the three-point range in the first half than the Hawks did, with 31 to the Hawks' 18. They also outrebounded the Hawks 27-18, with a significant portion of the rebounds coming off the offensive glass, at 11. These problems led to second-chance points that eventually helped Boston build a comfortable lead, as they finished with efficient shooting splits of 46.3%, 36.5%, and 72.7%, and a total of 24 assists as a team.

Three triples for Zach pic.twitter.com/N8IGFAWSLa
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) July 20, 2025

3. Kobe Johnson

While the Hawks didn't have much going for them in this one, one of the team's bright spots this summer has been Hawks star little brother Kobe Johnson. Johnson finished as the team's leading scorer off the bench with 14 points, grabbed six rebounds, two steals, and dished out three assists, showing some promise in what could be some potential minutes with the Hawks' main roster this season. It is important to point out that out of the rest of the bench, he was the only player to score in double figures on efficient shooting of 54% from the field and 50% from three-point range.

Kobe to the rack ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/NUOFgoJdU8
— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) July 20, 2025

4. Turnovers and hustle

The Hawks' main issue, aside from shooting the basketball efficiently, was turnovers, as they committed 16 total turnovers in the game. The Celtics took advantage of the Hawks' lackadaisical offensive play and poor shooting, scoring many easy buckets in transition, leading to a sizable 21-point win. They were also more active on the glass today than the Hawks. The Hawks were out-rebounded by Boston 44-34, and a good example of this was when Hugo Gonzalez got an easy alley-oop attempt in transition for Boston.

Go up there and get it 28 pic.twitter.com/3Yr0jzeIhT
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) July 20, 2025

Half: Celtics 48, #Hawks 39

All 9 players have scored for Atlanta, but they've turned it over 8 times. That's the difference in the game so far.

Notables:
Dwight Murray Jr. 7 pts, 1 reb, 2 asst
Jack McVeigh 6 pts (2-4 3pt)
Javan Johnson 5 pts, 5 rebs, 1 block
— Drew Cagle (@_dcagle) July 20, 2025