Falling confetti at State Farm Arena causes delay in Hawks vs. Celtics Game 4

Sam Jarden

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Falling confetti at State Farm Arena causes delay in Hawks vs. Celtics Game 4 image

Safe to say the celebrations started a little prematurely in Atlanta on Sunday.

A bizarre malfunction at State Farm Arena caused a brief delay during Game 4 of the playoff series between the Hawks and Celtics.

With Boston holding an 11-point lead near the end of the first quarter, the officials whistled to stop play due to confetti falling onto the court. What began as a few scattered pieces turned into a steadier stream of falling paper, creating a possible safety hazard for the players. 

MORE: Updated scores, results, bracket for Celtics vs. Hawks playoff series

Here's a video of the unusual situation:

TNT play-by-play man Ian Eagle described the situation as a "legitimate confetti issue." The game was put on hold while arena staff members scrambled to clean the court and try and find the source of the confetti shower. It resulted in a short delay before the first quarter could finally conclude. 

The scene evoked memories of an infamous incident in Philadelphia back in 2018 that also involved the Celtics.

During Game 3 of a second round playoff series between Philly and Boston, 76ers guard Marco Belinelli hit a clutch shot as time expired. The crowd erupted and the confetti cannons were detonated as if the Sixers had just won the game. The only problem was, they hadn't. 

Belinelli's shot was ruled a two-pointer instead of a three-pointer, meaning the game was tied and headed to overtime. It took seven minutes to clear all of the paper scraps off the court before play could resume, and the Sixers ended up losing in heartbreaking fashion to fall to a 3-0 series deficit. They ultimately lost the series in five games. 

We'll see if an accidental confetti drop ends up being a good omen once again for Boston. Game 5 of Celtics vs. Hawks will tip off at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 25. 

Sam Jarden

Sam Jarden Photo

Sam Jarden joined Sporting News as an intern in 2020 and returned as a content producer in 2022. In between, he spent a year and a half at Turner Sports, managing the social media accounts for Bleacher Report, NBA on TNT, NBA TV and others. A proud UNC alumnus, he spends his free time following the Tar Heels, Buffalo Bills and Newcastle United FC, and has been known to occasionally hit the links.