BOSTON — Once again, the Boston Celtics got hounded by ball pressure. The Atlanta Hawks brought it in waves the last time these two teams squared off, and they did the same to begin Friday night’s game.
But it was more than that. The Hawks’ ball pressure forced the Celtics into some ugly offensive possessions, but the Celtics were also struggling to contain the Hawks’ three-ball.
Atlanta jumped out to a 25-9 lead with 4:03 to go in the first.
Then, Payton Pritchard and Derrick White stole the show.
White’s pick-and-roll ball-handling and Pritchard’s elite isolation scoring led a 17-4 run to close the quarter. Boston ran a lineup with the two of them alongside Jordan Walsh, Hugo Gonzalez, and Luka Garza, which turned the game on its head.
Walsh and Gonzalez provided an incredible energy boost, and Garza’s spatial awareness helped keep the offense running smoothly.
As the second quarter got underway, the Celtics couldn’t seem to keep up the momentum they gained at the end of the first. Instead, Boston and Atlanta played hand-in-hand, neither able to gain much separation.
Pritchard continued his impressive scoring streak, but Jalen Johnson consistently found a way to put the ball in the basket for Atlanta. All the while, Jayson Tatum struggled to find his shot.
Tatum did a pretty solid job of getting to the rim, but then he began settling for jumpers. And a lot of his jump shots took away from the rhythm of the offense, especially considering Dyson Daniels was guarding him very tightly.
The Hawks entered the second half with a 60-55 lead. They held firm as the third quarter got going, too.
At the beginning of the frame, Tatum got a couple of quality looks with off-ball movement, but as soon as Boston tried to play with him on the ball, Daniels stuck to him like glue. He was an unscreenable force, and Boston had to turn elsewhere for offense.
So, they turned back to Pritchard.
The Celtics’ point guard was virtually unstoppable in the third. As Daniels checked Tatum, Pritchard had space to work. And work, he did. He might as well have set up shop in the top-floor corner office.
Pritchard endured a few rough possessions to close the third, as Atlanta upped their defensive pressure against him when Tatum checked out of the game (Daniels switched onto him instead), but it was still his offense to run. He put up 12 points in the second quarter and 13 in the third.
Led by Pritchard’s incredible scoring outburst, Boston took an 87-82 lead heading into the fourth, winning the third quarter 32-22.
Tatum’s up-and-down night continued into the fourth, but he was on the upslope.
Shots fell more consistently. He drove the basket with purpose. The pick-and-roll with Neemias Queta worked to perfection. As he gained steam, the Hawks inched further and further away from a potential comeback.
Then, Boston went cold. Pritchard couldn’t make a shot. Tatum struggled, too. And Atlanta got out and running in transition.
Slowly but surely, Boston’s double-digit lead fizzled away, and with under four minutes to go, the Hawks were within striking distance.
But as the Celtics were reeling, one thing kept them alive: Rebounding.
On one end of the floor, Tatum and Queta dominated the defensive glass. On the other hand, Pritchard (all 6-foot-1 of him) dominated the defensive glass.
Every time it looked like the Hawks got a stop, Boston, somehow, someway, ended up with the ball again. And Pritchard led the charge.
He finished the night with 36 points, seven rebounds, and four assists while shooting 13-of-23 from the field and 6-of-11 from deep range.
Big winner: Tatum is back. Jaylen Brown, though he was out on Friday night, has played like a top-five player in basketball this season. But Pritchard cannot be forgotten.
