Hawks soar past Celtics in game six for series win

The Atlanta Hawks advanced to the NBA Eastern Conference semi-finals after defeating the Boston Celtics 104-92 in game six on Thursday.

Atlanta were made to work for their spot in the second round, having opened the play-off series with back-to-back wins, only to drop consecutive games to the Celtics, before regaining a 3-2 lead.

And that proved a hurdle too far for the Celtics in Boston as the Hawks earned a showdown with the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Hawks had an even contribution from their starters, with Al Horford (15), Paul Millsap (17), Kyle Korver (14), Kent Bazemore (15), Dennis Schroder (12) and Jeff Teague (11) all posting double- digit points.

Isaiah Thomas' double-double of 25 points and 10 assists was not enough to force a seventh and deciding game in the east.

3:01:00 PM