BOSTON — Whenever Payton Pritchard sprints up the court at the end of quarters, the TD Garden crowd knows the deal. Just as Pritchard’s getting ready to put another heave, Celtics fans rise to their feet in hopes of another improbable buzzer-beater.
And just like in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, C‘s fans were treated to another frenzy. It wasn‘t quite a buzzer-beater, but Pritchard drained a 3-pointer after he was given 6.2 seconds to cook with at the end of the third quarter. It was another impressive performance by Pritchard, whose eight 3-pointers off the bench tied a franchise record with Eddie House, per the team. When the Celtics were inefficient in the first half, Pritchard leading the way helped steady the ship as the C’s pulled away for the win over the rival Bucks.
“I just live for those moments,” Pritchard said. “The clock winding down, and I think it was like six seconds left, so just to get to a spot and raise. And I kind of black out in those moments and just let it fly. And obviously, it works out a lot of the times for me.”
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Pritchard poured in 28 points off the bench in his 28 minutes. He shot 10-for-14 from the field, including an 8-for-12 showing on 3s. For good measure, he added another five rebounds, three assists and two steals as his production has been a steal for the Celtics to start the year. While he struggled in the Knicks season opener, all he’s done since is score in double-figures over the past three games.
Of course, the supremely confident Pritchard always believed he could produce like this once given the chance. But on a stacked C‘s roster, those minutes were hard to come by for a long time. It wasn’t until last season the 6-foot-1 guard finally had a coveted consistent rotation spot he earned after grinding for years.
Pritchard‘s seen it all over the course of his career. But he‘s been adamant that he just wants to be known as a winner. His teammates can attest to that. For years now, even when he wasn‘t getting consistent playing time, the Celtics spoke glowingly of his work ethic and attitude. That doesn‘t happen unless Pritchard’s earned the respect of his peers. And now that he‘s been given that extra leash, he‘s ran with it as he’s become a Celtics fan favorite.
“I feel like it comes because I look like an ordinary person, and I feel like I give hope to everybody that is the same size as me,” Pritchard said. “I’m not necessarily the most athletic, but with hard work, you can make it a long way, and I feel like I’m the prime example of that. I never quit — and I keep going. Anything that you put your mind to in life, you can accomplish it. So I’m proud to give hope to those people.”
