Guts? Check.
After Friday’s ugly loss, the Celtics reminded us what they are made of, to a man, in a 107-98 victory, giving them a 3-1 lead in a series that heads back to the Garden on Tuesday night.
The Celtics seized control by scoring 16 of the final 23 points after the Magic had tied the game at 91 with 4:18 remaining.
Their best player was at the forefront of that seizing. Jayson Tatum was at his best when the moment demanded he be.
Tatum scored 16 of his 37 points in the fourth quarter, including 9 of the Celtics’ 11 over the decisive final 2:51. His patient 10-foot turnaround jumper built the Celtics’ lead to 98-92 at the beginning of that span, and he made all seven of his free throw attempts down the stretch to hold the Magic at bay.
Tatum shot just 10 of 25 from the field against the tenacious Magic defense, but in a sense that makes his performance more impressive, because he reiterated the maturity and completeness of his game by finding other essential ways to contribute.
He buried all 14 of his free throws and in fact all 26 during the two games in Orlando. He contributed game highs of 14 rebounds and three steals. He turned the ball over just twice after committing a careless seven in Game 3.
Beyond the statistics, he refused to be rattled by the Magic’s transparent gamesmanship. That included a late shove from guard/bricklayer Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (whose cheap shot in Game 1 left Tatum with a painful bone bruise in his wrist) and a couple of staredowns with Magic coach Jamahl Mosley.
It wasn’t just a stellar performance, and it wasn’t just clutch. It was poised. Tatum played and carried himself like the superstar and champion that he is, and here’s hoping that this is one more sign all stupid national narratives about him are about to be vaporized for good.
It’s wild that Tatum, who just turned 27 in March, has essentially played a full season and a half of playoff games. Sunday’s was the 116th of his career and the 70th win, a remarkable level of experience and success for a player early in his peak years.
One of the many things he’s learned in the course of his various playoff journeys is he doesn’t have to do it alone. Heck, Jaylen Brown, who is 17 months older than Tatum and entered the league a season earlier, has played in 128 playoff games (77 wins), and has Eastern Conference finals and NBA Finals MVP awards to his credit.
Brown, too, met the moment Sunday, scoring 21 points, grabbing 11 rebounds, and making up for uneven shooting (6 for 16, 0 for 3 on 3-pointers) by making 9 of 10 free throw attempts. Brown was especially forceful in the third quarter while defending Magic star Paolo Banchero, continuing his admirable quest — especially admirable given his balky knee — to take on any difficult defensive assignment.
Who else? Just about every regular, in some way. Derrick White delivered 18 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists, and contributed a stunning block to halt a Magic fast break in the first half. Kristaps Porzingis scored 19 points, including an old-school 3-point play to put the Celtics up, 94-91. Al Horford, annoyed at the Magic like a dad who has about had it with these unruly teenagers, swatted five shots, including a crucial one on Banchero in the fourth quarter. Sam Hauser hit two early 3-pointers. Payton Pritchard did not score — the lengthy Magic are a tough matchup for him — but collected a huge offensive rebound late.
Tatum played like the superstar that he is, but it was a team win, just as so many have been the past two seasons for these Celtics.
You’d better believe it was a big one, too, even if this is just the first round. The Magic, fresh off a 95-93 victory in Game 3 that was such a hideous throwback to the rock-fighting ’90s NBA that you half expected to see Jeff Van Gundy dangling from a brawling player’s leg, were aiming to even the series at 2.
The Magic are distinctly structured to be a nuisance to the Celtics, and they’ve spent this series intent on confirming that, over and over.
And as an added degree of difficulty, the Celtics have had to play the last two games without Jrue Holiday, who had been a stabilizing force — emphasis on force — in the series’ first two.
If the Celtics are wise, they’ll send the Magic away for the summer in Game 5, and get Holiday, Brown, and Tatum some necessary time to rest and heal. This has been tougher than a first-round series should be, in multiple ways.
If there’s a blessing, it’s that we’ve been reminded that Tatum and friends know how to summon their best when the tension threatens to suffocate.
Call Sunday’s win a gut check, answered resoundingly. Better still, call it the toughness of champions. That is, after all, what, and who, they are.
Chad Finn can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him @GlobeChadFinn.
