Pritchard's 36 Points Lift Celtics Past Hawks 109-102

Boston overcomes Jaylen Brown's absence with balanced scoring and clutch plays down the stretch

Apr. 12, 2026 at 10:38am

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The Boston Celtics defeated the Atlanta Hawks 109-102 in a dramatic NBA matchup, overcoming the absence of leading scorer Jaylen Brown. Payton Pritchard stepped up with a career-high 36 points, sparking a second-quarter shooting barrage that turned the tide. Jayson Tatum added 26 points and 12 rebounds, making key plays late to seal the victory. The Hawks jumped out to an early lead but struggled to maintain their momentum as Boston's depth and resilience proved too much to handle.

Why it matters

This game showcased the Celtics' ability to win without their top scorer, highlighting the team's depth and adaptability as a championship contender. For the Hawks, it exposed areas for improvement, particularly in maintaining consistency and closing out tight games against elite opponents.

The details

The Celtics faced an uphill battle without Jaylen Brown, but Payton Pritchard stepped up in a big way, pouring in 36 points and igniting a crucial second-quarter surge that saw Boston hit seven straight three-pointers. Jayson Tatum overcame an inconsistent shooting night to make key plays down the stretch, including a spin-drive to the rim and clutch free throws in the final minute to seal the victory. The Hawks started strong, jumping out to a 25-9 lead, but their momentum faded as their perimeter shooting went cold, allowing the Celtics to tighten their defense and pull away late.

  • The Celtics' second-quarter three-point barrage came midway through the period, flipping the game's momentum.
  • Tatum's spin-drive to the rim came with 7:29 left in the fourth quarter, pushing Boston's lead to 97-86.
  • Tatum's 3-for-3 performance from the free-throw line in the final minute helped the Celtics seal the 109-102 victory.

The players

Payton Pritchard

A 24-year-old point guard for the Boston Celtics who had a career-high 36 points in the win over the Hawks.

Jayson Tatum

A 24-year-old forward for the Boston Celtics who finished with 26 points and 12 rebounds, making key plays down the stretch to secure the victory.

Jaylen Brown

The Celtics' leading scorer who missed the game due to Achilles tendinitis.

Jalen Johnson

A 21-year-old forward for the Atlanta Hawks who scored 29 points in the losing effort.

CJ McCollum

A veteran guard for the Atlanta Hawks who scored 21 points in the game.

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What they’re saying

“Payton Pritchard really stepped up and carried us tonight. When Jaylen went down, we knew we'd need contributions from everyone, and Payton delivered in a big way.”

— Jayson Tatum, Forward, Boston Celtics

“We had a great start, but we just couldn't sustain it. Boston's depth and ability to get hot from three-point range really hurt us in the end.”

— Quin Snyder, Head Coach, Atlanta Hawks

What’s next

The Celtics will look to build on this win as they continue their push for playoff positioning in the Eastern Conference. The Hawks will aim to regroup and regain their recent momentum as they fight to secure a postseason berth.

The takeaway

This game demonstrated the Celtics' ability to win through balanced scoring and timely contributions from role players, even when their top scorer is sidelined. For the Hawks, it highlighted the need to maintain consistency and find secondary scoring options to complement their perimeter threats.