BOSTON — As Derrick White released a 3-pointer from the right wing late in the fourth quarter Friday night, Payton Pritchard had already started breaking toward the rim for rebounding position.
With less than four minutes remaining and the Boston Celtics clinging to a four-point lead, Pritchard recognized the importance of the moment.
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“It’s just winning basketball,” Pritchard said. “I want to win, so obviously, you want to make a play.”
Though the Celtics were on offense at the time, coach Joe Mazzulla said Pritchard’s maneuver looked like a defensive box-out. While using his body to fend off Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Pritchard carved out space effectively enough that he could let the ball bounce once before picking it up. He then found Jayson Tatum, who capitalized on the second chance with a pair of free throws that helped the Celtics close out the Atlanta Hawks for a 109-102 win.
Pritchard scored 36 points. He drained each of his first six 3-point attempts. He helped the Celtics survive Jaylen Brown’s absence (Achilles tendinitis) by shooting an efficient 13 for 23 from the field. And still, after all of Pritchard’s buckets, Mazzulla sounded most impressed by the guard’s late-game rebounding. About a minute after beating Alexander-Walker on the offensive glass, Pritchard extended another possession against him in a similar fashion. By crashing again, Pritchard drew a foul on Alexander-Walker, keeping the ball with the Celtics when they would have otherwise gone back on defense with a four-point lead.
“They were going out in transition on that play,” Mazzulla said. “And that could have changed the game a little bit. And he goes in and crashes, and (it was) just a big-time play.”
“You see somebody shoot the ball, and I’m like, I see it coming off the rim, and I’m like, I’m just fighting, try to get it, get an extra possession,” Pritchard said. “And those little things like that can change the game and win a game. So, yeah, it’s just about the want and competitive spirit.”
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It won’t always be Pritchard winning extra possessions on the glass, but the Celtics’ emergence as a rebounding powerhouse has been key to several recent victories. Though they usually handle the ball quite well, they committed 16 turnovers against Atlanta, compared to four by the Hawks. It didn’t matter, partly because Boston racked up a fantastic 38.6 percent offensive rebound rate compared to Atlanta’s weak 21.8 percent, according to Cleaning the Glass. It was another rebounding clinic for the Celtics after they held the Thunder to just four offensive rebounds Sunday during a 119-109 win against Oklahoma City.
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The Celtics were formidable on the defensive glass before Jayson Tatum returned. They were trending up in that category, too, but have taken another leap since he came back from a torn Achilles early this month.
Over the 11 games since Tatum’s return, including one game that he missed, they rank second in defensive rebound rate (76.3 percent), third in overall rebound rate (54.5 percent) and ninth in offensive rebound rate (32.3 percent). Their defensive rebound rate and overall rebound rate during this stretch would lead the league for the entire season.
Not all of that success should be attributed to Tatum, but he has come back from a torn Achilles with a fierce commitment to the glass. Though his scoring efficiency has come and gone, his rebounding has been consistent. Even on a minutes restriction, he has reached double figures in rebounding in five of his 10 games played, with another two games of eight-plus rebounds. His average of 11 rebounds per 36 minutes would easily top his previous career high of 8.6.
Tatum has done that while dealing with the physical toll of returning to play after a long layoff.
“I’m playing more minutes now,” Tatum said. “And it’s a thing, like, 10 and a half months of not playing, your wind, your legs, fatigue sets in, and those things take time. But for me, just trying to figure out areas and ways where I can still try to make a positive impact on the game.”
Mazzulla has complimented Tatum’s rebounding several times, including after the wing notched 26 points, 12 rebounds and five assists on 8-for-24 shooting against Atlanta.
“Saw his defensive rebounding,” Mazzulla said. “I thought that was the most important thing.”
The Celtics have crashed the offensive glass all season, taking advantage of their athletic wings and active big men. It’s on the defensive glass where their remarkable turnaround has taken place. Mazzulla spent parts of the preseason yanking guys out of the game when they failed to grab a defensive rebound, partly because he was concerned that the team would be vulnerable in that way. Boston coughed up several games early in the season by failing to keep opponents off the glass.
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The Celtics entered the All-Star break ranked 18th in defensive rebound rate. Even that was a huge improvement from the way they started the season.
Boston leads the league in defensive rebound rate since the All-Star break. And Tatum’s presence has only solidified the team’s ability there.
Not many would have foreseen such a transformation coming when Mazzulla’s team was leaking second-chance baskets early in the season. Still, the Celtics have turned their greatest weakness into an overwhelming strength. They now routinely beat opponents on the glass on both ends of the court.
“Hard work,” Pritchard said. “Being about your work every day, coming in and trying to get better at the things that we need to improve at. And that’s just a testament to the culture we built here.”