BOSTON - As well as the Boston Celtics have played lately, guard Marcus Smart believes they can play even better.
Jayson Tatum made seven 3-pointers in a 32-point performance to help the home team sneak out of TD Garden with a 112-107 win over the struggling Atlanta Hawks on Friday night.
With eight of the Celtics' next nine games against teams currently in playoff contention, though, Smart knows there won't be any room for lapses over the next few weeks.
"That's something as a team we're still learning and we're still getting better at," Smart said. "We've got to play to the final buzzer. That's what's going to make us a great team. We still have a lot to learn. But I like they way we did tonight."
It was Tatum's eighth consecutive game with at least 20 points. Enes Kanter added 16 points and 15 rebounds, and Romeo Langford chipped in 16 points off the bench as Boston posted its sixth consecutive win.
The Hawks led at halftime - despite having only nine players available and playing without DeAndrew Bembry, Bruno Fernando, Cam Reddish and All-Star point guard Trae Young - but they struggled to make shots in the second half.
They got within 110-107 with 41.3 seconds to play on a dunk by John Collins, then got the ball back with 18.3 seconds left, but Kevin Huerter and Brandon Goodwin missed 3-pointers. Langford corralled the last rebound, was fouled and hit both of his free throws.
"I was a lot more comfortable," said Langford, who at times found himself guarding veteran Vince Carter just a game removed from making the first start of his NBA career. "It took me a little bit to get the rhythm of the game, but once I got running up and down the court a little bit, I felt like I belonged out there."
Collins led Atlanta with 30 points and 10 rebounds. Huerter finished with 25 points.
The Hawks kept the game close despite also not having trade deadline acquisitions Clint Capela, Dewayne Dedmon and Skal Labissiere, who had not yet joined the team as they awaited their deals to be officially completed.
"We've just got to play with effort, no matter if we're short-handed or not," Huerter said. "It's the kind of thing you've got to do to piece games together. Hopefully, Sunday (against the New York Knicks) we can get more people on the court."
The Celtics were also missing starters with Jaylen Brown (right ankle sprain), Gordon Hayward (left foot soreness) and Daniel Theis (right ankle sprain) all sitting out.
Boston took advantage of the holes in Atlanta's lineup, jumping out to a 21-7 lead with 17 combined points by Tatum and Walker.
However, Boston's second unit of Semi Ojeleye, Vincent Poirier, Brad Wannamaker, Tremont Waters and Grant Williams shot just 1-of-8 from the field over the final 6:46 of the opening quarter. Atlanta finished the period trailing 28-26, with 11 points from Collins and 10 from Huerter.
The Hawks outscored the Celtics 29-26 in the second quarter and took a 55-54 lead into halftime. The Celtics responded, outscoring Atlanta 22-11 over the final 7:29 of the third quarter to take an 87-73 lead into the fourth.
The Hawks, who fell to an Eastern Conference-worst 6-22 on the road with the loss, shot just 6-for-21 from the field and committed five turnovers in the third quarter.
Boston improved to 35-9 when scoring 100 or more points.
Before the game, Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge presented Carter with a plaque congratulating him on his "22-season Hall of Fame career." The plaque included a photo of Carter - then with the Toronto Raptors - shooting a jumper over former Celtics forward Paul Pierce. It also included logos of the eight NBA teams the 43-year-old Carter has played for during his career.
Later, Celtics fans erupted in cheers when he checked into the game midway through the first quarter. Carter plans to retire after the season.