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Paul Pierce explains what separates Boston Celtics from other NBA teams amid Jayson Tatum injury blow

Originally posted on NBA Analysis Network
By Bergas Agung | Last updated Apr 22, 2025 5:30 PM ET

The Boston Celtics kicked off their 2025 playoff campaign with a commanding 103-86 victory over the Orlando Magic in Game 1.

Despite an off-night from their superstars, the Boston Celtics displayed their championship pedigree through exceptional team play on both ends of the court.

Celtics legend Paul Pierce highlighted this as the defining trait that separates Boston from other contenders–their ability to win collectively when individual stars aren’t at their best.

Paul Pierce reckons that the Celtics’ increased the team intensity to win the game one

In a segment for FS1’s Speak, Pierce explained: “Now that’s a team that has room for error, when your stars don’t play well.

“Think about this, Jayson Tatum had 17 points – went one for eight, Brown had 16 and Porzingis, what did he have? Five. And we still win by 17 points,” Pierce explained on the Speak Show.

“What I saw from this game is a team that knows they’re really good because they didn’t play particularly well in the first half, and in the second half, you can see they pressed the button.”

“We used to say, ‘It’s time to press the button.’ That’s when we upped our intensity, the defense would step up, and we know we can push the lead. That’s what I saw from Boston yesterday,” the former Finals MVP continued.

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Paul Pierce says Celtics can cope in first round

As Pierce said, what makes this win particularly impressive is how the Celtics dominated despite subpar performances from their top players.

Kristaps Porzingis managed just five points, while Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum combined for only one made three-pointer between them.

But Pierce did say that the Celtics need to keep their stars hot on the court if they want to go far in this season’s playoffs.

“On any given night, different players can step up when their stars don’t play well. Can they get back to the finals like this? No, the stars have to show up. In the first round, they can get away with it.”