Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown drop 31 points each, Celtics push Hawks to the brink

Fox News Flash top sports headlines are here. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com.

Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum each scored 31 points and the Boston Celtics led nearly the entire way, holding off the Atlanta Hawks for a 129-121 victory Sunday night and commanding 3-1 lead in the opening-round playoff series.

The Celtics can deliver the clincher Tuesday night when the series returns to Boston for Game 5.

Tatum and Brown combined to score Boston's final 16 points.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

Brown, who has been wearing a protective mask after sustaining facial contusions in February, took off the device after making only 1 of 7 shots. He went 11 of 15 the rest of the way.

Boston never trailed after grabbing a 4-3 lead on Derrick White's basket just over a minute into the game.

Tatum delivered a huge 3-pointer off a loose ball with two minutes remaining, pushing the Celtics to a 118-106 lead.

After Trae Young swished a long 3 to provide Atlanta's last gasp, Brown knocked one down from beyond the arc seal it for the Celtics.

Marcus Smart added 19 points and Derrick White 18 for the Celtics.

Young had another big game for Atlanta with 35 points, but it wasn't enough. De'Andre Hunter chipped in with 27 and DeJounte Murray had 23.

GRIZZLIES' DILLON BROOKS BEMOANS PERCEIVED 'VILLAIN' LABEL, BELIEVES IT'S WHY HE WAS EJECTED IN GAME 3

Hunter ripped off eight straight points, including a couple of 3s, and then delivered a thunderous dunk that brought the Hawks within 53-49.

But Boston closed the first half on a 12-4 spurt, capped by Smart's 3-pointer that sent the visitors to the locker room with a 65-53 lead and sapped a lot of energy from the home crowd.

The Celtics tenaciously protected