ATLANTA — The Atlanta Hawks couldn’t make a shot. Then they couldn’t miss one.
The Hawks made a stunning 11 consecutive shots — five from behind the 3-point arc — during a second-quarter run Tuesday night that turned a 10-point deficit into a 10-point lead over the Celtics.
By the third quarter, the rout was on as shot after shot continued to fall.
“In the first quarter it seemed contagious that we couldn’t make a shot,’’ Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer said. “The second and third quarters, it became contagious that everyone was making them.’’
Mike Scott, subbing for a struggling Al Horford, played a key role in the game-changing stretch in the second quarter. Kent Bazemore capped it with a pair of 3-pointers.
The shooting exhibition led to the Hawks’ 110-83 victory at Philips Arena, and pushed the Celtics one loss away from playoff elimination.
“I think we just needed to breathe a little bit and keep playing hard,’’ Budenholzer said. “We needed to keep that same edge, but let it fly and keep moving. We kind of settled in and got in rhythm.’’
Scott, who averaged 6.2 points in the regular season, scored 17 on 7-for-9 shooting Bazemore contributed 16 points, going 4-for-9 from behind the 3-point arc.
“Mike Scott off the bench was great,’’ Budenholzer said. “Kent Bazemore had a big second quarter.’’
Bazemore is the one Hawks starter the Celtics didn’t feel needed extra attention. Scott wouldn’t have received much playing time if Horford hadn’t missed his first eight shots.
Of course, Horford wasn’t the only one missing for the Hawks, who started 6 for 34. Bazemore thought the rough start might have been a hangover from Sunday’s overtime loss in Boston.
“That was a tough end and we had trouble shaking it off at the start of this game,’’ he said. “Then we got it together.’’
“We were trying so hard, we were a little tight,’’ said the Hawks’ Kyle Korver, who finished 3 for 6 from behind the arc and 5 for 8 overall.
Now the Hawks can close out the first-round playoff series with a victory in Game 6 on Thursday night in Boston. If a Game 7 is needed, it would be Saturday night back in Atlanta.
The Celtics and Hawks split in Boston during the regular season.
“We just got to go up there and play like we did tonight after the first quarter,’’ Scott said. “We know it won’t be easy.’’
Paul Millsap, who scored 45 points in Game 5, scored just 10 this time, but it didn’t matter.
The Hawks shot 23.8 percent in the first quarter and the second quarter didn’t start any better. Then everything changed.
Stuck on 19 points midway in the second quarter, the Hawks scored 28 in the next six minutes to take a 47-39 halftime lead.
The intermission didn’t cool off the Hawks. They came out just as hot as they had been at the end of the second quarter.
Atlanta shot 61.5 percent while putting up 42 points in the third quarter and led, 89-62. The fourth quarter was a time to clear the benches.
The Hawks took a 24-3 lead en route to a victory in Game 2, but this was even more impressive. Few playoff games turn so decisively.
“They steamrolled us,’’ Celtics coach Brad Stevens said.
It is the Celtics who will have to regroup now. A road team has yet to break through with a victory in the series.
“All up and down the roster, guys played well on both ends of the court,’’ Budenholzer said. “Now we just have to take this same kind of mentality, this same kind of effort, and take it on the road.’’
