Sunday’s Game 4 victory gave the Boston Celtics a commanding 3-1 first-round series-lead over the Philadelphia 76ers. The win itself was just that -- commanding.
The Celtics built an early lead behind an offensive onslaught from Payton Pritchard, who poured in 18 first-half points (32 on the game), and never looked back. It was every fan's dream of a stress-free win in the playoffs.
That wasn’t always looking like a guarantee, though.
Philly had totaled just 43 points through the first 4:35 of the third quarter. They were lethargic, lifeless, and looking as if they were pondering potential vacation destinations. Then, after VJ Edgecombe sank a pair of free-throws, they caught fire.
The 76ers proceeded to pour in 29 points, only 14 fewer than they’d scored to that point, on a crisp 10-13 shooting for the remainder of the frame. Boston’s stout defense didn’t even slip during this stretch. They just fell victim to some good ol’ fashioned magnet ball for a bit.
Yet, the Celtics still managed to outscore the Sixers by three in the third.
Think back. Imagine watching the playoff runs of the early 2020s (or even last year). How many times did you watch a large lead dwindle down for one reason or another?
Plenty.
Instead of wilting in the face of adversity and adding another lost lead to the list, the Celtics simply punched back.
They didn't get tense. They didn't get baited into bad shots. They didn't turn the ball over.
They played with poise.
Boston matched the 76ers’ 10-13 clip with an 8-10 shooting performance of their own. What was perhaps even more impressive was their ability to get to the free-throw line as Philadelphia made their inevitable push.
Jaylen Brown made two trips. Jayson Tatum made one. Payton Pritchard made one. Even when they weren’t able to free themselves up for clean looks, the Celtics still managed to force the Sixers into disadvantages where they were forced to foul.
Payton Pritchard's underrated offensive creativity could be huge for the Celtics' title hopes
The trio of scorers was responsible for all 26 of Boston’s points during Philly’s big swing. Pritchard led the charge with 14 of them -- showcasing how much of a difference maker he can be for this team when he’s on.
Want to focus your entire defensive scheme on Tatum and Brown?
That’s cool, Pritchard will happily step in and get cooking.
“He's been on a journey since he's gotten to the NBA,” head coach Joe Mazzulla praised postgame via CLNS Media. “He’s started, he’s not started, he’s come off the bench… but throughout it, he's kept a level of professionalism, consistency, mental toughness.”
The level in which Pritchard has created for himself, as well as others, this season is game-changing. He’s partially to thank for the stability the team maintained in Tatum’s 62-game absence to start the year.
His evolution as an offensive playmaker has been, and will continue to be huge for Boston as they try to push for an 19th NBA title. So will the poise that they, as a team, showed when Game 4 got tough.
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