Five before Game 5: Celtics want better start — and finish — in Atlanta

2:44 PM ET

ATLANTA — How do the Boston Celtics plan to avoid the sort of slow starts that left them clawing their way out of an early series hole the last time they were in Atlanta?

“Just play, for the most part,” said All-Star point guard Isaiah Thomas. “Come out with the same energy somehow, knowing what’s at stake, knowing what we can do by winning this game. And, if you’re a basketball player in this situation, there’s no way you shouldn’t have any energy to come out in Game 5 of the playoffs.”

Boston encountered double-digit deficits early in both Games 1 and 2 against the Atlanta Hawks and set a playoff record for futility by scoring a mere seven points in the first quarter of Game 2 while ultimately falling behind 2-0. The Celtics switched up their starting lineup in Boston, evened the series, and are hoping they packed that momentum for the road and the start of Game 5.

“We’re on a two-game winning streak, so I would think we have a little bit of momentum,” said Thomas. “We know [Atlanta’s] crowd’s going to be energized. We know they’re going to play with their backs against the wall, but we’ve got to do the same thing.”

Celtics coach Brad Stevens, who downplays the notion of home versus road because he doesn’t want his players to have preconceived expectations at either location, is worried about more than just the first 12 minutes of the game.

“You have to focus on the things that you can do best, and starting is a part of …

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