Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
Here's What Stood Out in Celtics' Win vs. Hawks: Boston's Three-Point Barrage Propels Hosts Past Atlanta
The Celtics capped their regular season with a 120-114 win over the Hawks in a game where both teams were missing most of their top rotation players.
The hosts were on fire from beyond the arc, drilling 25/54 (46.3 percent) of the threes they hoisted.
Payton Pritchard, who registered a game-high 30 points, buried 9/16 from three-point range. Mike Muscala, who finished with a career-high 27, made 4/7, and Sam Hauser, who matched his career-high with 26 points, knocked down 8/14 from behind the arc.
Now, the playoffs have arrived. It's the moment the defending Eastern Conference champions have been waiting for since losing Game 6 of the NBA Finals to the Warriors on the TD Garden parquet.
But even with an eye toward the playoffs, after Boston's victory vs. Atlanta, Celtics' head coach Joe Mazzulla said of his team's ability to stay present, "I think the only time I've really felt that was the stretch after All-Star," adding, "I thought our guys did a great job working out of that."
That stretch and the Bucks' 20-game win streak are why Boston's second in the East and likely has to go through the Sixers and Milwaukee to return to the NBA Finals.
But Jayson Tatum's 46-point masterpiece in Game 6 against the Bucks at Fiserv Forum is the best performance of his career from this author's vantage point. The Celtics then beat the Heat in Miami in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
Not only has the star tandem of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown reached at least the Eastern Conference Finals in three of their first five seasons together, but with them leading the way, Boston has proven itself on the road when it matters most.
And as Tatum and Brown have voiced, between experience, internal growth, and external additions, they believe this team is better than last season's.
Before moving on to the playoffs, here's a deep dive into what stood out in the Celtics' victory vs. the Hawks on Sunday, as they put the finishing touches on a 57-25 campaign in which Mazzulla registered the second-most regular-season wins by a rookie head coach in franchise history.
Celtics and Hawks Operating with a Skeleton Crew
The Celtics and Hawks sat most of their top rotation players for Sunday's regular-season finale in Boston.
The hosts were without Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Al Horford, Marcus Smart, Robert Williams, and Malcolm Brogdon.
The Celtics' president of basketball operations, Brad Stevens, provided an update on Brown's injured right hand before tip-off.
Atlanta was missing Trae Young, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Dejounte Murray, Clint Capela, and John Collins.
The Hawks face the Heat in Miami Tuesday in a play-in game.
Payton Pritchard Seizes His Opportunity
Getting the start for the shorthanded Celtics, Payton Pritchard capitalized on his opportunity.
The former Oregon Duck led all participants with 18 points at halftime, drilling 6/13 threes.
He also dished out five assists, the most through 24 minutes, and grabbed a team-high five rebounds in the first half.
Pritchard stayed hot in the second half, including burying a shot from 31 feet, turning to the crowd and letting his emotions out afterward, and connecting on seven of his first 14 threes.
He finished with 30 points and registered a triple-double, grabbing 14 rebounds and dishing out 11 assists, all game-highs.
Pritchard joins Larry Bird and John Havlicek as the only Celtics to have a game with at least 30 points, 13 boards, and 11 assists.
There's also this note from Celtics team reporter Taylor Snow about the third-year guard's historical Easter Sunday performance.
While Pritchard's stuck behind Marcus Smart, Derrick White, and Malcolm Brogdon on Boston's depth chart, he's worthy of being in a team's rotation. With those three on multi-year deals, his chance to do so might come elsewhere next season.
Mike Muscala's Offensive Eruption in the Third Quarter
Mike Muscala produced five points in the first half and missed the only three he attempted.
In the third frame, the Celtics' trade-deadline acquisition went off for 18 points, burying 7/8 shots, including 4/5 from beyond the arc.
Muscala isn't a member of Boston's top-eight rotation players. But he'll get minutes along the way in what the defending Eastern Conference champions hope is a run that brings them back to the Finals and results in raising Banner 18 to the TD Garden rafters. The more threes he's making, the more likely he is to earn minutes.
Boston on Fire from Behind the Arc
The greatest difference-maker in the Celtics' win over Atlanta was their hot shooting from three-point range.
The hosts knocked down 13/30 (43.3 percent) of their attempts from beyond the arc in the first half. They made 8/13 (61.5 percent) in the third frame. And after converting on 25/51 (49), they finished the day 25/54 (46.3 percent) from behind the three-point line.
An up-tempo approach they sustained by consistently getting stops, limiting the Hawks to 11/39 (28.2 percent) from behind the arc, Boston's purposeful on and off-ball movement, and facilitating that led to 33 assists on 42 field goals were critical ingredients in the Celtics' three-point success in Sunday's 120-114 victory.
Up Next
The Celtics are on to the playoffs. As the second seed in the East, they'll face the winner of Tuesday's play-in tournament game between the Heat and Hawks in Miami.
Further Reading
Brad Stevens Provides Update on Celtics' Star Jaylen Brown's Injured Right Hand
Nick Nurse Provides His Evaluation of Former Raptor and Newest Celtic, Justin Champagnie
Celtics Discuss Malcolm Brogdon's Sixth Man of the Year Candidacy
Joe Mazzulla Reacts to the Celtics Clinching the Two Seed in the East
Jaylen Brown on His Relationship with Jayson Tatum: 'We’re a Part of Each Other’s Destiny'
[Film Room] What the Celtics Did to Slow Down Giannis Antetokounmpo in Blowout vs. Bucks
