The guard hit his first six 3-pointers and poured in 36 points in the Celtics’ 109-102 win over one of the NBA’s hottest teams.

“I don’t think my role changed from any other night,” Pritchard said with a shrug. “Just come out being aggressive, looking to make plays for my teammates or for myself, and just make the right reads.”

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Although Pritchard’s scoring barrage was critical, after the game Mazzulla pointed to other moments that he viewed as similarly impactful, like when he scrapped for an offensive rebound with just over three minutes left, after the Hawks had sliced an 11-point deficit to 4. Or when he battled in the paint with Nickeil Alexander-Walker with two minutes left and drew a key foul that stopped a Hawks fast break and gave Boston possession.

“It’s just those big-time plays for us,” Mazzulla said. “And he’s not defined by scoring, so that helps us a lot when he does other things.”

Jayson Tatum added 26 points and 12 rebounds for the Celtics, but he made just 8 of 24 shots. Mazzulla said he appreciated Tatum’s rebounding, aggressiveness, and ability to get to the free-throw line.

Tatum, meanwhile, spent another postgame discussing the areas in which he is still seeking to regain his superstar form following last May’s Achilles injury.

“Mostly just kind of playing through it,” he said. “I’m still rusty. Obviously, you probably can see the moments when it doesn’t look the same or I look rusty, but I think just the mindset of, on to the next play. I’m thankful that I’ve got teammates and a coaching staff that are patient with me in this moment as I’m trying to just figure it out.”

Celtics forward Jayson Tatum slaps his chest after draining a 3-pointer for a 100-89 lead during the fourth quarter.Barry Chin/Globe Staff

Tatum was limited to 27 minutes in his first three games after returning March 6, but that restriction has been lifted. He played a season-high 36:36 against the Hawks, almost exactly his season average last season.

Jalen Johnson had 29 points to lead the Hawks, who started the game by making four of five 3-pointers but hit just 11 of 37 afterward.

After Atlanta grabbed a 25-9 lead Mazzulla burned his second timeout of the quarter. He said he was not particularly irritated. The Hawks had just happened to make the shots the Celtics wanted them to take. He said he took this timeout to “set the perspective,” and emphasize that the Celtics would need to count on their offense in this game, too.

Pritchard helped with that part.

He capped the Celtics’ 10-0 response with a step-back jumper. Then with 52 seconds left, he rushed upcourt and hit a 3-pointer, a deliberate move to give the Celtics three possessions in the final minute. They capitalized by scoring on all three, with Pritchard ending the quarter with a buzzer-beating layup that pulled the Celtics within 29-26.

“He can get shots off in four seconds, five seconds, six seconds,” Mazzulla said. “So, one of the things he’s really good at is his situational awareness to those types of things and knowing when we can pull some of that stuff off and when we can’t.”

Pritchard’s hot streak carried over into the second quarter, when he converted four of his team’s first five field goals —two layups and two 3-pointers — to tie the score at 40.

Celtics guard Payton Pritchard howls after his 3-pointer gave the Celtics a 69-68 lead during the third quarter of Friday night’s 109-102 victory over the Hawks.Barry Chin/Globe Staff

The Hawks stretched their lead to 8 early in the third before Mazzulla called timeout and put Pritchard back in. He promptly hit a pair of 3-pointers, with Sam Hauser adding a third, during the 9-0 burst that transpired in just 69 seconds.

With 5:59 left, Pritchard improved to 6 for 6 from beyond the arc when he hit another 3-pointer from the right corner.

The Celtics led by as many as 11 points in the fourth before the Hawks pulled within 103-99 on an Alexander-Walker bank shot at the 2:39 mark. Atlanta’s defense generated the initial stops to further its comeback, but time and again the Celtics either came up with offensive rebounds or beat the Hawks to loose balls.

Adam Himmelsbach can be reached at adam.himmelsbach@globe.com. Follow him @adamhimmelsbach.