Hawks forward Onyeka Okongwu tries to put up a shot against Celtics center Neemias Queta in the first half.
Hawks forward Onyeka Okongwu tries to put up a shot against Celtics center Neemias Queta in the first half.Mike Stewart/Associated Press
ATLANTA — As the Celtics raced to an NBA title two seasons ago, seismic individual performances were sometimes limited by the thoroughness of their victories, with stars watching fourth quarters from the bench.
Saturday night’s game against the Hawks was reminiscent of that. With Jaylen Brown pouring in points in myriad ways and Sam Hauser seemingly unable to miss a 3-pointer, the Celtics rolled to a 132-106 win in which they poured in 52 second-quarter points and led by as many as 43.
Brown scored 41 points through the first three quarters and sat in the fourth. Hauser had 10 3-pointers — one short of tying the franchise record — with eight minutes left in. Boston spent a couple of minutes somewhat awkwardly trying to get him more, but he missed six in a row and sat with 30 points.
The Celtics were starting to spiral earlier this week, with consecutive losses followed by a 19-point deficit on Thursday against Miami. But they rallied for a win in that game and followed that up with this resounding victory.
Boston shot 50.5 percent from the field and hit 22 of 45 3-pointers, including 10 of 15 in its massive second quarter.
Payton Pritchard (ankle) sat out for Boston. Former Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis was sidelined with a sore Achilles for Atlanta, which shot just 37.3 percent from the field.
Baylor Scheierman started for Pritchard, but the way Brown and Hauser dominated the first half, Boston probably would have been just fine if coach Joe Mazzulla stepped into that fifth slot.
Brown seemed determined to seize control early while taking the court in his hometown. He attempted 13 shots and six free throws during his 18-point opening quarter, helping the Celtics open a 30-23 lead.
Brown was on the bench to start the second quarter, but the Celtics did just fine without him, buoyed by a scorching display from beyond the arc.
Simons, who erupted for 39 points in Boston’s comeback win over the Heat on Thursday, picked up where he left off. He poured in 11 points over the first 5:15 of the period, with three 3-pointers. The last, which rolled around the rim and in, gave Boston its largest lead to that point, 54-37.
Brown checked back in with Boston leading by 14, he and Hauser broke the dam.
Hauser drilled two 3-pointers over a 27-second span, the first completely uncontested from the left corner, and the second coming off the dribble with a hand in his face.
Brown was fouled on a drive and simply flipped the ball up over his head and hoped for the best, and the crowd gasped when the ball slid through the net anyway. He was serenaded with audible ‘MVP’ chants when he went to the foul line.
Hauser added another 3-pointer, and after Brown missed an ambitious attempt from long range, Hauser chased down the rebound and poured in another 3-pointer from the top of the key that made it 80-48. He was 6 for 6 from the arc in the quarter.
Brown put the finishing touches on the astonishing quarter when he drove through the lane for a layup before flexing as he ran back downcourt.
During the 52-point second-quarter explosion Boston made 19 of 25 shots, tied an NBA record by making 11 of 15 3-pointers, and hit 3 of 3 free throws.
The halftime lead was so big that the Celtics had plenty of margin for error in the third quarter, but they did not tempt it. White started the second half with a steal and a layup, and with 10:05 left Brown calmly stepped into a deep 3-pointer that stretched the advantage to 90-53.
Boston reached the 100-point mark with more than seven minutes left in the quarter. In two of their previous three games, they failed to top the 96-point mark.
Near the end of the third, Brown looked like a player amid a heater who knew he would not get much, if any, playing time in the fourth quarter. He added a 3-point play and a baseline jumper to give him 41 points. His night ended there.
At the start of the fourth, ahead by 40, Mazzulla showed the first sign of easing up when he inserted two-way contract player Amari Williams.
But Hauser remained in the game, and his two 3-pointers over a 23-second span gave him 10 3-pointers and 30 points and stretched the lead to 126-83.
Adam Himmelsbach can be reached at adam.himmelsbach@globe.com. Follow him @adamhimmelsbach.