However, the break seemed to cool him down a bit. Tatum finished the game with 28 points on 10-for-21 shooting following a 1-for-8 performance in the third quarter. His only basket was a transition dunk, and he took off in the fourth quarter and never returned as the Celtics cruised to a 30-point win in their third road game in four nights.

Tatum played a crucial role as the team extended its lead to 18 by the end of the third quarter, providing multiple assists and serving as the focal point of the Hawks' defense while his teammates had open looks at him.

However, Celtics fans hoping to see Tatum's statpad to make his MVP case a little easier may have been disappointed.

2. A callback to Rajon Rondo?

Apparently Tatum and Derrick White have an agreement: If one of them says a game is headband night, they both have to put them on.

White and Tatum both wore headbands on Monday, and a reporter asked Tatum about the look after the game.

“I’ll always look good,” Tatum told reporters. “I used to often wear a headband. But it's a thing between me and D-White where we did it a few times last year and the year before that, and we have an agreement between the two of us. If on any given day one of us comes in and says, “Today we have to wear a headband, the other person has to agree.”

“I called today so I'm waiting for him to tell me we have to wear a headband next time.”

The results were pretty solid: Tatum went crazy in the first half and White worked his way into the game, finishing with 21 points on 8-for-16 shooting to go along with six rebounds and six assists.

Incidentally, Tatum wore his headband with the NBA logo backwards, which was famously banned to the displeasure of Rajon Rondo. Whether Tatum will be reprimanded or not remains to be seen, but even in 2010 when the rule was implemented, it felt very unnecessary.

3. High speeds

The Celtics dominated the Hawks in fast break points, winning the category 35-4. The Hawks' first fast break points came in the fourth quarter when Onyeka Okongwu intercepted a pass from Sam Hauser and ran it the length of the court for a slam, but up until that point the Celtics were getting all they could on the break wanted crisp, unselfish ball movement.

Everyone helped. Tatum hit a big dunk and led the break several times. Neemias Queta was a dangerous weapon on the edge. White and Jrue Holiday separated the Hawks with passes and smart cuts.

Atlanta has been one of the worst defensive teams in the NBA for eight games, and Monday's game won't help their 28th-place defensive rating. For a Celtics team that has every weakness against opposing defenses, the Hawks offered several and were pretty clearly outclassed from the start.

4. Neemias Queta had his first start

With Jaylen Brown still sidelined with a hip flexor strain, the Celtics returned to their jumbo lineup with Tatum, White, Holiday, Al Horford and Neemias Queta in the opening group.

Queta was an interesting addition to the starters. He struggled a little defensively, but was simply bigger and more athletic on both ends than the Hawks in the middle of the field.

Queta was taken off the field after a few minutes in the first quarter and received what one reporter called a “teaching moment” for Joe Mazzulla after the game.

“He’s just grown a lot as a player, and honestly, he doesn’t know how good he can be,” Mazzulla said. “He has a great ceiling, so the standard is very high. I thought he did some great things for us tonight, but when you're as good as he can be, he just has to do it – we all have to keep him at that level every night.

“It's a credit to him that we were just allowed to train him, it's a credit to the boys for supporting him, but you can see what he's capable of when he's at his best.” He can do a real one be an enrichment for us. (…) He’s slowly realizing how good he can really be and he’s working on it.”

5. Jordan Walsh showed some flashes

Walsh came up with a layup in transition and scored through contact, and his defense on both sides was fun to watch. He held off Jalen Johnson on a post-up, had two steals and recorded a block in 19 minutes.

Offensively, Walsh still has a ways to go, but he's settling nicely into his defensive role as an agent of chaos with plenty of energy and long, waving arms that manage to kick the ball free more often than you'd expect.

6. Trae Young broke an impressive streak

Trae Young played no role at all for the Hawks – 1 of 10 from the field with two points and six assists, breaking a 70-game streak in which he scored at least 10 points and finished with at least five assists. Young, like many of both teams' rotation players, did not play in the fourth quarter, preventing him from making a final attempt to keep the series alive.

As noted on NBC Sports Boston's broadcast, Cade Cunningham is now the player with the longest streak of 10 points and five assists. Cunningham's brand? Nine.

“He’s a great player,” Mazzulla said. “I just thought we played good team defense. We built our defense on this trip and it takes all five guys to protect him. I think everyone did a great job of just defending without fouling, keeping him out of transition, having a lot of points to attack and just protecting him as a whole team.”

7. Al Horford's mother cooked dinner for everyone.

If you need a smile, this interview between Abby Chin and Horford's mother, Arelis Reynoso, will help.