ORLANDO — Among the Celtics’ priorities entering Game 4 in Orlando: helping Kristaps Porzingis play to his potential.

The Boston big man played, in his own words, “like (expletive)” in the Celtics’ Game 3 loss to the Magic on Friday, finishing with seven points on 3-of-10 shooting and struggling on the defensive end.

Teammate Payton Pritchard said a more impactful Porzingis performance would be “huge” for the Celtics as they looked to take a 3-1 series lead Sunday night.

“It’s huge,” Pritchard said before Game 4. “If he can dominate the paint, we get him going, that changes the flow of the game. If we can get him to get two (defenders) onto the ball, that will also allow some of our shooters to get easier looks. But a lot of that comes off pick-and-rolls, him sealing. Obviously, he’s a mismatch, so we’ll definitely look for him.”

Porzingis excelled at finding mismatches and drawing fouls in Game 2 (20 points, 10 rebounds, 10-for-14 from the foul line), but his shot has been uncharacteristically erratic throughout the series. Over the first three games, he shot just 28.1% from the floor and was 0-for-10 from 3-point range, far cries from his regular-season shooting percentages of 48.3% and 41.2% from three.

“I haven’t said anything to him, but Kristaps is a great competitor,” fellow big man Al Horford said. “I know he’ll respond, and he’ll be ready to go.”

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The Magic, who prefer to defend 1-on-1 and deny opportunities for open 3-pointers, succeeded in neutralizing that core aspect of Boston’s offense in Game 3. The Celtics attempted just 27 threes in the 95-93 loss — six fewer than their previous season low, which also came against Orlando. Their nine 3-point makes were tied for their third-fewest this season.

Beyond Porzingis’ struggles, Boston also got little from its secondary scorers as Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Derrick White accounted for 71 of the team’s 93 points. Pritchard and Sam Hauser, who are capable of swinging games with their perimeter shooting off the bench, combined for just three field-goal attempts, three points and four turnovers.

Pritchard did not attempt a 3-pointer for just the second time this season (the other instance was against, you guessed it, Orlando). Hauser, who entered Sunday scoreless this postseason, went 0-for-1. Both players shot better than 40% from deep during the regular season.

“I just feel like they’re denying off-ball,” said Pritchard, the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year. “They’re not allowing catch-and-shoot shots. They’re not allowing quick swings, stuff like that. But there’s different ways I need to get open and create openings for teammates.”

He added: “I’m looking to be better (in Game 4) than I definitely was the other night.”

Pritchard and Horford both said the Celtics, who ruled out starting guard Jrue Holiday (hamstring) for the second straight game, would look to play with more pace Sunday night against the Magic’s tough, hyper-physical defense.

“Transition, pace of play,” Pritchard said. “I feel like if you get into a half-court set, they’re very big, they’re long, they’re good in half-court. So I feel like even on makes, we’ve got to get it out quick and push the pace. Obviously, that’s where I like to play, but I think a majority of our team, we’re very efficient when we get it down the court rather than walking it up and by the time we get in our offense, there’s 10 or 12 seconds (on the shot clock). That allows them to (defend) 1-on-1, and they’re going to live with a contested shot. So it’s stuff like that.”