Guard Payton Pritchard has been a key bench player for the Celtics, in part because of his defensive pressure and offensive rebounding. Steven Senne/Associated Press
The bench isn’t known for being a game changer for the Boston Celtics this season. Boston’s top five scorers are all in the starting lineup. Don’t mistake a lack of scoring for a a lack of importance, though. The bench unit boasts top-five rankings in both field goal percentage and 3-point shooting percentage and has the best net-rating (+3.2/game) of any bench in the league.
It comes as little surprise that Boston lost two straight last week while the bench was struggling. On Tuesday night in Cleveland, the bench (18 points) was outscored by Dean Wade (23 points) as Cleveland rallied from 22-points down in the fourth quarter to win 105-104. The trouble continued Thursday against Denver, when Boston’s bench scored just 10 points in a 115-109 loss.
With Kristaps Porzingis out of the lineup on Saturday night because of hamstring tightness and sixth man Al Horford moved into the starting lineup, the spotlight was on Boston’s bench. The Suns reserves are a weak spot, and the Celtics took advantage in a 117-107 win.
Despite only playing three reserves – Sam Hauser, Luke Kornet, Payton Pritchard – the bench outscored the Suns reserves 27-16 and earned high praise from Coach Joe Mazzulla after the win.
“They were amazing, they were tremendous,” Mazzulla said. “I thought Payton changed the game with his defense, you know, him and Sam (Hauser) both are known for offensive guys, but I think it’s been their defense that’s really helped us this year. Luke’s ability to play versus the second unit and switching really gave us a great look. And then, when they went to touch, he was able to set great screens. That unit has been great for us all year, but tonight they were big time.”
Those type of performances can help swing games against good teams. Pritchard has bounced back from an ugly shooing slump early in the year to hit 38.2 percent of his shots from 3-point range. His defensive pressure and his nose for offensive rebounding are traits opponents aren’t ready for.
Hauser (41.6 percent from 3-point range) is far more confident taking shots this season. Meanwhile, Kornet and Xavier Tillman look like a nice rotating cast for Mazzulla to choose from based on the opponent. Kornet made a strong case to secure the majority of backup center reps on Saturday night with a mix of strong rim defense and being a regular lob threat in the paint.
Ultimately, second-unit performances won’t win the Celtics a playoff series, but it could swing a couple games. If any injury arises this postseason to a front-court player, Boston’s reserve look capable of holding their own even in a tough road environment like Saturday night in Phoenix. That’s an encouraging sign for a group that has the best starting five in the NBA.
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