4 takeaways as Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown lead Celtics to victory in Game 4

Human nature: The ways of thinking, acting, and reacting that are common to most or all human beings or that are learned in social situations.

Nobody is immune to human nature, and sometimes, in professional basketball, human nature can cause players to get comfortable and perhaps lose some intensity.

After Game 3, Jayson Tatum discussed Boston’s need to fight against human nature. In Game 4, that challenge came in the form of not overlooking Cleveland and combating complacency as the Celtics looked to avoid a Game 4 letdown against the Cavs, who were without Donovan Mitchell – who is averaging 31.7 points on 51.5% shooting from the field and 53.3% from deep this series.

When asked before the game how to counteract human nature and avoid a letdown without Mitchell, Joe Mazzulla offered a simple solution.

“Don’t be human,” Mazzulla said. “Be different.”

It was a very human-like start for Boston, and not in the most flattering light.

The Celtics struggled out of the gate, committing 10 turnovers in the first half, translating to 16 points for Cleveland. Sloppy passing and careless drives resulted in live-ball turnovers, allowing Cleveland to capitalize with easy transition baskets (15 fast break points) and settle into a rhythm.

Boston also struggled to locate Cleveland’s shooters on the perimeter, as the Cavs shot 11-of-25 (44.0%) from deep in the first half, led by Max Strus, who knocked down five of his six attempts. Boston’s miscues, parlayed with Cleveland’s control of the three-point battle, set the stage for a dogfight.

“Give credit to Cleveland. They came out with great energy, they played fast, they played hard, they tried to speed us up, they tried to rattle us, and I think it worked in the first half,” Jaylen Brown said. “In the second half, we composed ourselves a little bit better and pulled away a little bit.”

The Celtics certainly did look more composed in the second half. They cleaned up their mistakes, turning the ball over just five times and holding Cleveland to 4-of-23 (17.4%) shooting from beyond the arc.

“Just passing to the guys with the green jerseys,” Mazzulla said on the poise he saw to cut down turnovers in the second half. “That’s poise. That’s the most poise you can have.”

“Literally. Just pass.”

Cleveland put up a fight on the backs of Darius Garland and Evan Mobley. The two teams traded blows as the Cavs tested Boston with its first clutch game of the postseason — a test the Celtics passed with a 109-102 victory.

“Yeah, whatever it takes,” Mazzulla said postgame when asked if he likes to see that kind of adversity in the postseason. “The perspective to have is there is no one way to go about winning. Every game is different. Every series is different. Whatever situation we are in, we have to match that mindset to do whatever it takes.”

With the win, the Celtics took a commanding 3-1 series lead. Boston is 29-0 all-time when leading a best-of-seven series 3-1. They have closed those series out in five games 18 times.

“Now it’s time to go back and play well in front of our fans,”  Tatum said postgame. “Give them something to cheer for. Hopefully, try to get a win.”

Here are four takeaways as the Celtics remain a perfect 4-0 on the road this postseason.

Stars shine bright

With the Celtics holding a five-point lead with a little over a minute remaining in regulation, Jayson Tatum penetrated the paint using a screen from Derrick White before kicking out to Jaylen Brown on the wing.

Dagger.

As JB Bickerstaff called timeout, LeBron James, sitting courtside, rose from his seat and headed for the exits. Boston’s bench erupted enthusiastically, and Tatum went over and slapped Brown hard on the chest in excitement.

“I’m gonna get Jayson back for that,” Brown joked on the slap postgame. “I wasn’t paying no attention, and he just comes out of nowhere with a left hook straight to the chest; I’m gonna get him back for that.”

Tatum defended himself, saying, “I didn’t realize how hard I hit him. I’ve been lifting a lot lately. High intensity game, I drove, they helped, he hit the big shot. I was hype.”

It was the perfect culmination of another spectacular night from Boston’s superstars.

Tatum finished with a game-high 33 points, 11 rebounds (also a game-high), five assists, two steals, and a block. It marked Tatum’s 12th career playoff game with at least 30 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists — the 8th most in league history. Additionally, he became just the third Celtic to have at least 30 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists in consecutive playoff games, joining Larry Bird and John Havlicek.

Brown finished with 27 points on a very efficient 9-of-15 (60.0%) shooting and eight rebounds – including a clutch board that set up his dagger three. Among players with at least 60 shot attempts, Brown leads the NBA in field goal percentage.

Collectively, the duo accounted for 60 of Boston’s 109 points (55.0%), emerging as the solution to all of Boston’s challenges, particularly in the clutch. In Games 3 and 4, the dynamic duo combined for 121 points, 41 rebounds, and 15 assists.

Jrue Holiday finds his groove

Jrue Holiday is a big reason why the Celtics boarded the plane and headed back to Boston up 3-1 in the series.

Holiday undoubtedly had his best playoff games as a Celtic in Games 3 and 4, and they couldn’t have come at a more convenient time with Derrick White going through a bit of a shooting slump.

“Just stability defensively. And he’s starting to be more aggressive on the offensive end. And when he’s aggressive, both him, Derrick, and our bench, I think we’re a different team,” Mazzulla said on what he is seeing from Holiday.

“He is finding a groove offensively between his shot selection and his playmaking, and then defensively, just the versatility. We must have played five or six different defenses tonight, and he has the ability to communicate those, and get the matchups where they need to go. He’s been great.”

Like Game 3, Holiday was dominant on both ends of the floor Monday night, finishing with 16 points on 6-of-11 (54.5%) shooting, seven rebounds, five assists, and three steals. The All-Defensive guard also had six deflections, tied for the game-high.

Game 4 marked the first time since the end of January that Holiday has scored at least 16 points in consecutive games.

In Games 3 and 4, Holiday totaled 34 points – the highest mark on the team, behind just Tatum and Brown – on 61.9% shooting from the field and 58.3% from distance. The 6-foot-4 guard also snagged 34 rebounds (third-highest mark), dished out 10 assists (second-highest mark), and had three steals and two blocks (both tied for team-high) en route to a +21.

With White searching for his stroke, Holiday has stepped up big when the Celtics have needed him, providing an incredible luxury for Boston and reinforcing their status as the league’s top backcourt duo.

“I think that they are our X-factors. I think when they’re playing well, or one of them playing well, or both of them playing well, it makes us extremely tough to beat. I think that no matter what, we gotta maintain our defensive identity, whether we’re making shots or not. So, I just need those two to always be locked in physically on defense,” Jaylen Brown said on the duo dubbed “The Stock Exchange.”

“I’m just thankful that those guys are on our team,” Jayson Tatum added. “The intangible things they do on the defensive end, night in and night end – whether it’s chasing shooters around, or fighting through screens, or coming over the top and contesting shots – they do it however long they’re in the game. They’re really the anchor of our defense, and we just try to match their intensity throughout.”

White will eventually snap out of his slump. In the meantime, the Celtics will need him to keep impacting the game in other ways and Holiday to keep being aggressive.

“Jrue had it going tonight. Jrue had it going last night. He was aggressive, and that’s the Jrue I think that we need going forward if we’re going to do what we want to do,” Brown said.

“And then Derrick -- continue to took his shots in spots, and he made some big shots down the stretch. But continue to stay into the game even if your shot is not falling. He can still make plays to help you win, rebounds, clutch shots, blocked shots, defensive plays, all of that little stuff adds up. (We) don’t got time to hang our head, you got a good shooting night or a bad shooting night, you still got to affect the game. So, credit to those two, they’re professional, but we gotta continue to get more from them as we go forward.”

Getting it done in the clutch

Game 4 was Boston’s first postseason game this season decided by single-digits. It was also the Celtics’ first clutch game since April 5 against the Kings. Notably, the starters were absent in that game, and Xavier Tillman hit the game-winner.

Cleveland cut the Celtics’ lead to five twice in the final frame, and despite shooting a mere 2-of-11 (18.2%) over the final seven minutes of the game, Boston held on for the win, leaning on its defense.

“Defense,” Tatum said on the key to the clutch success. “We hung our hat tonight on the defensive end. We made timely shots. Even the ones that we didn’t necessarily make – some of those kick-out threes, good execution, sometimes you just don’t make shots. When we had to get stops, we did.”

Boston held Cleveland to just 11 points in the final five minutes, keeping arm’s length from the hosts.

“I mean, I think it’s good to be in those situations,” Mazzulla said postgame. “However we have to win a game, we have to do it. So, it was good to get reps playing different ways. It was good to play against a different defense…Everybody talks about clutch offense. I thought our clutch defense was good. We got stops when we needed to, we had some 50/50 balls that we got the hang of, and we executed our late-game defense. So, that’s just as important as the offense.”

Clutch situations can’t be replicated in practice; they require real-game experience. Mazzulla values the chance for his team to face challenges head-on, and Game 4 provided just that opportunity.

“Felt good,” Holiday said on getting the win in the clutch. “We knew they weren’t just gonna go away or back down. So, I think being tested in that way and responding the way we did — we did a pretty good job.”

Payton Pritchard’s confidence

In Game 3, approaching the midway point of the fourth quarter, with Boston looking to create some separation on their nine-point lead, Payton Pritchard uncorked a 33-foot bomb.

Water.

On his way back down the floor, Pritchard had some words for the Boston bench. The triple was the biggest shot of the night.

Cleveland had been chipping away at what was a 23-point Boston lead and was outscoring Boston 10-4 in the opening stretch of the fourth quarter.

In Game 4, Pritchard once again made his presence felt (and heard) with a massive swing at the end of the third quarter.

With under 40 seconds remaining in the quarter, Pritchard drew a foul on Caris LeVert. The Oregon product went to the line and knocked a pair of free throws.

On the ensuing Boston possession, Pritchard hit a nasty step-back three on Dean Wade. As he made his way back down the court, he pointed to the Celtics’ bench and fired them up. The burst pushed a five-point Boston lead up to 10 to end the quarter.

“He’s been great all year,” Mazzulla said on Pritchard postgame. “Payton’s confidence and becoming a really good two-way player. just affecting the game both offensively and defensively. Whether it’s handling, whether it’s screening, whether it’s shooting, whether it’s chasing the shooter, or switching.”

Pritchard has scored double figures in three of the four games this series, providing the Celtics exactly what they need for him off the bench, knocking down some big shots along the way.

His impact is evident, as he ranks eighth in total points among reserves this season, boasting an impressive plus-minus of +64, second only to Sam Hauser’s +76 among reserves.