7 takeaways from Game 4

Tatum — who finished with 30 points on 11-for-24 shooting — didn’t have a dominant performance in his bounce back from an ugly Game 3 (4-for-19 from the floor), but he was big in the moments that mattered and helped the Celtics save their season.

“I’ve finally got into a good rhythm,” Udoka said. “I think, possibly, with [Jaylen Brown] being out and with the ball in his hands a lot more, he finally found a good rhythm. We found some actions that we liked for him and then some isolations where we don’t always bring the screen, we feel we can beat his man. Give him a little bit more space to operate. He got downhill, got aggressive and started knocking down the 3s. What he’s been doing all year. Took him a little time to get going in this game but he finished off well in the fourth obviously especially with JB being out.

As great as Horford was in Game 4, there’s no guarantee he can continue this torrid pace, and Tatum himself showed how crucial it is to have a player who can create his own buckets in the big moments. Horford put the Celtics up four in the final quarter, but it was Tatum who carried them home.

“I played terrible Game 3 and we almost had a chance to win, and that was really the toughest part, just knowing that. So I was just really eager to get back and ready to play and whether it was scoring or not, just coming out and just playing better on both ends of the floor,” Tatum said, sounding exasperated with himself. “Doing what I can to help us get a win.”

3. Brown picked up his fourth foul early in the third quarter trying (and failing) to guard Antetokounmpo. Brown struggled mightily when the Celtics let him get switched onto Antetokounmpo in Game 3, so they had plenty of warning, but Brown once again found himself facing Antetokounmpo on multiple unsuccessful occasions.

Maybe Brown didn’t like Antetokounmpo’s little push in his back in the fourth quarter, which prompted him to throw off Antetokounmpo’s conciliatory hand on his back, or maybe Brown was upset because Antetokounmpo spent much of the game hunting him. Either is plausible. Brown finished with 18 points on 5-for-11 shooting.

4. Marcus Smart scored a few crucial baskets in the fourth quarter and seemed to realize that certain Bucks matchups simply couldn’t contain him. It will be interesting to see if the Celtics hunt those matchups further going forward.

“Everybody played great in different stretches,” Tatum said.

5. Give the Celtics a lot of credit: They beat the Bucks without Robert Williams, who sat out with knee soreness.

6. The Horford trade this past summer was justified long before Monday, but his performance in Game 4 hammered home how essential that savvy move was to the Celtics’ success. In his post-game comments on him, Tatum somehow managed to sweeten the pot further.

“Al’s been great for the team, Al’s been great for me,” Tatum said, emphasizing the second part. “I’ve been fortunate enough to play with Al for three years and I remember coming in my rookie year and seeing Al Horford. I’ve been seeing him play my whole life, and it was great to see somebody taking care of their body from him, just be the ultimate professional, the ultimate teammate, and just all about the right things. Nobody can ever say anything about Al, and he’s helped me a great deal in the three years we’ve played together.

“I’m very lucky and fortunate to be able to call Al a teammate.”

Horford’s dunk with 9:51 remaining proved to be a crucial turning point.