PHOENIX — While the Celtics were in a battle with the Suns early in Saturday’s game, that changed quickly once Boston’s bench players subbed in. Slowly they trickled in with Sam Hauser, Luke Kornet and Payton Pritchard getting the primary rotation minutes against the Suns.
That trio delivered right from the moment they touched the court. It’s why C’s coach Joe Mazzulla had rave reviews about his bench players after the Celtics’ 117-107 win over the Suns on Saturday.
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“They were amazing; they were tremendous,” Mazzulla said. “I thought Payton changed the game with his defense. Him and Sam both are known for offensive guys, but I think it’s been their defense that really helped us this year. And Luke’s ability to play against a second unit and switching really gave us a great look, and when they went to touch he was able to set great screens. So that unit has been great for us all year, but tonight they were big-time.”
The numbers will pop off the page when it comes to Kornet and Pritchard. Kornet poured in 14 points and six rebounds on 6-for-7 shooting in his 20 minutes. Pritchard had 10 points on 4-for-6 shooting. Hauser was 1-for-4 from 3, but his defense stepped up when he was on the court as Mazzulla said. Notably, those three bench players were the only Celtics to finish with positive double-digit plus/minuses Saturday.
It’s been a rough couple games for the Celtics bench over the course of the recent two-game losing streak, including getting outplayed by the Nuggets on Thursday. But the C’s depth has been dependable all season, and they stepped up in a big way to snap the brief losing skid. There’s clearly a lot of trust from the Celtics for their depth to contribute as that’s been the case throughout the season.
“They won us the game tonight,” Jaylen Brown said. “Payton, Luke, Sam, their energy, their plays, their effort. They’re the reason why we probably won the game tonight. It’s tough, but they’re always ready. So shout out to those guys.”
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