The Celtics wrapped up the 2022-23 regular season with a win on Sunday afternoon, defeating the Atlanta Hawks 120-114 at TD Garden. The win completes the season sweep of Atlanta, with Boston winning each of their three matchups.
With the Celtics locked into the number two seed in the Eastern Conference, Boston used Sunday's regular season finale as a rest day for a vast majority of their rotational players. Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart, Al Horford, Robert Williams and Malcolm Brogdon were all given the day off.
Derrick White played just five minutes, but in doing so, he played in all 82 games this season. He is the first Celtic since Isaiah Thomas in 2015-16 to appear in every game. Appearing in 82 games in today's NBA is an impressive feat, and something head coach Joe Mazzulla thinks White takes pride in.
"I think he takes pride in that", Mazzulla said "It's cool to see. I'm happy for him".
With a lot of the regulars off, the depth of the Celtics was on full display Sunday, which has been a common theme this season. Payton Pritchard had a monster game, notching his first career triple-double and setting new career-highs in points (30), assists (11) and rebounds (14).
Nine of Pritchard's 10 made baskets came from three-point range, where he shot 9-of-16 (56.3%). Pritchard joins James Harden as the second player in NBA history to hit nine three pointers and record a triple-double. Pritchard also joins Larry Bird and John Havlicek as the only players in Celtics history to record at least 30 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists in a game.
Pritchard admitted postgame that it has been an up and down year for him emotionally, as he has been buried on the Celtics' bench due to the extensive depth the Celtics have at the guard position, and even admitted after the trade deadline he was hoping and expected to be traded at the deadline, in hopes of finding a bigger role.
"I had the opportunity to go out and show what I'm capable of and I tried to take advantage and show the world what I'm capable of", Pritchard said postgame.
Pritchard wasn't the only Celtic that had himself a career night. Mike Muscala poured in a career-high 27 points on 9-of-13 (69.2%) shooting from the field and 4-of-7 (57.1%) from deep, while also grabbing eight rebounds. Eighteen of Muscala's 27 points came in the third quarter.
Sam Hauser, coming off a career-high 26 points on Friday, followed it up with another 26-point day while also dishing out a career-high six assist. Hauser shot 9-of-16 (56.3%) from the field, and 8-of-14 (57.1%) from deep. Hauser was a nightmare for the Hawks this season. In their three games this season, Hauser averaged 17.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.0 assists, while finishing with a plus-minus of +48. In those three games, Hauser shot 66.7% from the field and 68% from three.
The trio of Pritchard, Hauser and Muscala combined for 83 points, 27 rebounds, 19 assists and 22 made threes. Boston as a team finished with 25 three-pointers. It was the fourth time this season they made at least 25 threes.
Boston finishes the 2022-23 regular season with 57 wins, the most in a season since 2008-09. They will now await the winner of Tuesday night's play-in game between the Miami Heat and Atlanta Hawks in the first round of the NBA playoffs, with Game 1 set for Saturday at TD Garden at 3:30 p.m.
