BOSTON - Kyrie Irving credits the Boston Celtics' defense for an offensive resurgence that has them riding the longest active winning streak in the NBA.
Irving scored 24 points in just three quarters then rested in the fourth as the Celtics finished off a 129-108 rout of the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night for their eighth straight victory.
"We're just pushing the pace," said Irving, who also had five assists, five rebounds and four steals. "I think our identity is on the defensive end. We just try to pressure them and use that to our advantage and create opportunities on the offensive end."
Jayson Tatum added 22 points for Boston, Marcus Morris had 20, Gordon Hayward totaled 19 points and five assists, Daniel Theis scored 18 points and rookie Robert Williams III blocked five shots.
"We've been playing well over the past couple of games, just coming out with some pace and some attitude and just setting the tempo," said Morris, who made six of Boston's 19 3-pointers.
Kevin Huerter led Atlanta with 19 points, and John Collins had 11 points and 14 rebounds. The Hawks, losers of six of seven, committed nine of their 24 turnovers in the first quarter.
"The hole that we put ourselves in was a big issue," Atlanta coach Lloyd Pierce said. "We just have a way of getting off to slow starts. For some reason, we don't have that urgency."
Atlanta regrouped in the second quarter and cut the Celtics' lead to 49-45, but Boston pushed the lead back to 11 by halftime and continued pulling away in the second half with an opening 13-2 run.
"We've got to do a better job of not putting ourselves in a hole at the start of the third," Collins said. "We give a team like that opportunities, they're going to take them."
Tatum's three-point play with 2:04 left in the third pushed the Celtics' lead to 101-79. A technical foul on Bazemore after that call led to another free throw, followed by another technical on Atlanta coach Lloyd Pierce five seconds later. Boston led 108-82 after three quarters and let its reserves take over in the fourth.