Celtics guard Derrick White scored 17 points on 6-for-7 shooting, including 3 for 3 on 3 pointers, in a 144-102 win over Washington on Sunday. Associated Press
BOSTON — Each rotation member of the Boston Celtics’ bench has faced adversity at some point throughout the season. Payton Pritchard couldn’t get off the bench and struggled with his shot. Derrick White slogged through a shooting slump. Grant Williams’ stellar shooting took a dip in March.
The trio shook off those vibes Sunday, putting together a near-perfect shooting performance. It was a stellar night from the bench as Williams, Pritchard and White put up points in droves. Those are huge contributions for the Celtics, who need every bit of juice they can get with Robert Williams out for the foreseeable future.
“It’s huge for them, for us, with confidence in general,” Coach Ime Udoka said of the bench. “We’ve seen quite a bit of how Jayson (Tatum) and Jaylen (Brown) are going to be defended at times. They are trying to make the other guys prove it and the result is 39 assists when guys are making shots, but we’re also moving the ball and trusting our guys.”
The Celtics dominated the Wizards in a 144-102 win Sunday at TD Garden as nearly every player who saw the court scored at least a bucket. The starters were solid as ever as Brown put up 32 points and Tatum had another 22. Washington didn’t offer much resistance, which allowed the Celtics to put up gaudy offensive totals.
The bench trio’s impact was magnified throughout the game as they hit nearly every 3-pointer they put up. White finished with 17 points on 6-for-7 shooting, including 3 for 3 on 3s. Williams had 16 points also on 6-for-7 shooting, and 4 for 5 on 3s. Finally, Pritchard put up 14 points on 5-for-8 shooting and 4 for 7 on 3s.
“You’ve gotta keep shooting,” Williams said of breaking out of his slump. “One of those things where, as a shooter, as a guy, that this is my first time really going through it as much as I have this year. So it’s just a matter of keep being confident, letting those things fly.”
The spacing, especially, is crucial for the Celtics who have slogged through their shooting struggles this season. Williams hit just 31% of his 3-pointers in March as defenses started to respect his shot more and forced him off the 3-point line. It’s only a one-game sample size, but if Williams can find his shooting touch that goes a long way for the Celtics.
That same applies for Pritchard. The point guard has claimed all season he’s never let his confidence waver, but his playing time was sporadic early on. He’s finally earning more minutes of late, showcasing how dangerous he can be as a microwave-type scorer.
“We’re not worried with Grant,” Udoka said. “It’s a pretty simple thing: Catch-and-shoot, get good looks that we feel he’s going to knock down. Payton, Derrick, those guys – teams are going to load up and try to have those guys prove it. Stay confident, move the ball and take the right shots and most likely, we’ll live with the result. They are getting great looks like we did tonight.”
White hasn’t enjoyed his best shooting this season, but it’s the other aspects of the game he brings. He continues to shoot the open looks within the flow of the offense, and unlike his slump, they finally went down. White will always stuff the box score like he did Sunday, putting up five rebounds and three assists. His perimeter defense is also a huge asset for a team looking to carry its defense to any venue in the postseason.
The Celtics are in an intriguing spot with only three games left in the regular season. Udoka’s looking to tinker with lineups – namely, the big man rotation of Williams, Daniel Theis and Al Horford. Getting the other bench pieces going and comfortable only adds to the team’s strength.
“Payton, Grant, D-White, when they come off and be aggressive, that’s super important for our team, and we need those guys to feel like they have the go ahead to do that, to be aggressive,” Brown said. “I’m proud of all of those guys. They’ve been coming in and really stepping up late in the season, and it has been really good for us.”
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