BSJ Game Report: Celtics 109, Hawks 102 - Pritchard halts streaking Atlanta

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 Whitestole 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 Danielswas 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 Quetaworked 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.

Boston has an embarrassment of riches when it comes to one-on-one talent. Tatum has struggled to put the ball in the basket, but he can draw a crowd and make plays in one-on-one situations. Brown has been incredible this season. But there's a reason Pritchard has been the best points-per-possession isolation scorer in the NBA this year.

Teams may struggle to put a top-tier defender on him when Tatum and Brown are on the floor. And Boston can use that to its advantage. On Friday night, that's exactly what they did.

And Pritchard made the most of his opportunities.

Ouch, tough one: This wasn't the Celtics' best defensive night, despite what the point total may say.

Their three-point defense wasn't where it needed to be. It tightened up as the night went on, but there were still other defensive issues.

For the most part, Atlanta outran Boston in transition. Even after the Celtics made shots, the Hawks took the ball out of the basket and sprinted the floor.

Atlanta scored 14 fast-break points and made 15 of their 39 three-point attempts (including 10-of-20 from beyond the arc in the first half).

Expect a more detailed defensive examination (and Pritchard breakdown) in the Simone's Six article tomorrow morning.

The big picture: Friday night wasn't pretty by any means. The Hawks shot well from deep range, Boston got off to an ugly start, and Tatum endured a relatively awkward performance.

But the ups outweighed the downs for Boston. Pritchard gave them an incredible spark. Walsh was flying around on defense. Garza played well off the bench. Winning doesn't always mean winning pretty.

In fact, if the Celtics want any chance of winning a championship this season, they have to get used to games like this one.

Winning a title is almost never pretty. Boston is going to play some ugly basketball games. They're going to shoot poorly, get beaten up, and give up transition opportunities.

Atlanta was 14-1 in their last 15 games heading into Friday, and the Celtics found a way to take them down. Only one stat matters in the playoffs: The win.