BOSTON — From day one since becoming the head coach of the Celtics, Joe Mazzulla has preached and stressed the value of the 3-pointer.
“I love 3-pointers,” Mazzulla said after a win over the Wizards in October. “I like math.”
As Sunday’s regular-season finale showed, that message has been received loud and clear all season long.
Even without most of their starters and regulars on Sunday, Mazzulla’s ideal shot profile was on full display at TD Garden, where the Celtics let it fly from everywhere. Payton Pritchard hit a career-high nine 3-pointers, Sam Hauser made a career-best eight triples and Mike Muscala added four more as the Celtics drained 25 3-pointers – two off tying the franchise record – in their 120-114 victory over the Hawks.
Hauser scored 26 points, Muscala had 27 and Pritchard finished with his first career triple-double with 30 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists. Fittingly, the assist that gave him the triple-double was on a triple from J.D. Davison in the fourth quarter.
The Celtics had 21 3-pointers after three quarters and looked primed to break the franchise mark of 27 triples and maybe even threaten the NBA record of 29 3-pointers. But they settled on matching the third-most 3-pointers in team history. Under Mazzulla, the Celtics’ four highest 3-point makes in a game in franchise history have all come this season.
