Key Moment
Jaylen Brown took over down the stretch of Game 4, and he did so with a combination of skills from all over the court.
Surprisingly, it was Brown’s passing game that first impacted Game 4 during crunch time. The likely All-NBA wing dished two assists that led to Rob Williams layups, all within a span of just 37 seconds to provide Boston with a seven-point lead at the 3:14 mark of the fourth quarter. Each pass came off a drive to the basket, with the first coming on a wrap-around pocket pass under the basket, and the second coming via a drop-off pass for an easy two for Williams.
Shortly thereafter, following two free throws from Jayson Tatum, Brown then used his outstanding defensive abilities to stop Dejounte Murray. The two went at it in an isolation situation and Brown was draped all over Murray the entire time. He eventually forced a turnover with 2:27 left that led to a 3-pointer by Tatum, which pushed the C’s ahead by 12.
From that moment on, Brown would score seven points to help Boston close out a 129-121 win. He first cashed in on a 3-pointer, then slammed home a driving dunk along the baseline, and added in two free throws with 13.6 seconds left to close out his scoring on the night.
Most will look to Brown’s 31 points as his greatest impact on the game, but those two assists two Williams and his lockdown defense on Murray are what changed the course of the game.
Key Player
Celtics fans wanted more from Robert Williams. They got it Sunday night.
Williams finished with a monster double-double off the bench with a game-high 15 rebounds to go along with 13 points. He was the only member of the Celtics who logged a double-double during the game.
Boston’s concentration heading into this contest was to protect the glass. Williams helped the C’s excel in that area with his 12 defensive boards and three offensive boards. His 15 rebounds marked his highest total since grabbing 16 way back on Feb. 12 against Memphis.
At the offensive end, Williams made four of his five shot attempts and set a new season high for free throw attempts with six. He converted on five of those attempts, which also set a new season high.
And his impact didn’t end there. Williams also contributed three assists, two steals and two blocked shots for an outstanding all-around performance that helped to fuel the Celtics to a 3-1 series lead.
Box Score Nuggets
- Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum each scored 31 points to lead the team.
- Al Horford did not score a point, but led the game in plus/minus rating at plus-17.
- Six Celtics scored at least 13 points during the contest.
- Boston outscored Atlanta 56-44 in the paint and 18-8 in fast break points.
- Trae Young led the game with 35 points and 15 assists, but he shot just 11-for-26 from the field.
- Boston logged shooting splits of 51.7 percent from the field, 40 percent from long range, and 84 percent from the free-throw line.
- Three Hawks players scored 23 or more points: Young with 35, De'Andre Hunter with 27, and Dejounte Murray with 23.
- Robert Williams led the game with 15 rebounds, and he also scored 13 points.
- Each of the seven Celtics who played more than 10 minutes committed at least two turnovers.
- Marcus Smart scored 19 points on 8-for-14 shooting.
- Tatum led the game with three blocked shots, as well as with 11 free throw makes and 12 free throw attempts.
Quote of the Night
"I saw his face. And then after that, I just saw his poise."
- Joe Mazzulla on what changed when Jaylen Brown decided during Game 4 to play without his face mask