BOSTON — After the Celtics traded from their impressive depth to acquire Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday, all the chatter was about Boston’s top-six rotation. That was expected back in the offseason. The C’s employed an impressive starting lineup, though the bench was more of a question mark.
But throughout the year, guys like Sam Hauser, Payton Pritchard and the bench provided value consistently. Still, the playoffs were going to be a question mark as it’s a different game compared to the regular season. While it was only one game, the Celtics’ reserves were massively important in their blowout Game 1 win over the Heat.
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“Extremely important,” Jayson Tatum said of the bench. “You’re going to need things like that to be successful in the playoffs. It’s not always going to be the guys that start the game. Any given night, we’re going to count on somebody off the bench to change the pace of the game or kind of mess things up in a good way and change the dynamic of what we’re doing.”
Pritchard immediately gave the Celtics a spark, hitting a pair of 3-pointers in the first quarter. As always, he also crashed the glass to create some chaos. Then it was Hauser’s turn at the start of the second quarter. After the Heat cut the lead to three points, Hauser hit his next four 3-pointers to create comfortable distance from there. Pritchard finished with eight points, four rebounds and five assists; Hauser had 12 points on 4-for-6 3-point shooting.
Both Pritchard and Hauser came with question marks going into the playoffs. Outsiders wondered how they would hold up defensively, though they’re both better than advertised. There were some possessions where the Heat went right at them, showcasing how the playoffs could go for what the C’s hope will be the next few months. Regardless, the bench was a huge part of the Celtics’ success Sunday.
“The bench in general, that’s been the identity of our team all year, so you can’t get into a playoff and shut those guys out,” C’s coach Joe Mazzulla said. “You have to give them their run because they just bring a different dynamic to the game. And even some of the guys who didn’t play have to be ready.
“It’s only one game. A series takes on a life of its own, but we need our bench, we need our depth in order to maximize this opportunity that we have. They did a great job.”
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