Player of the Game: Pritchard Provides a Spark Against the Pacers
Creator: Andy Lyons | Credit: Getty Images
The Celtics were able to get back on their feet by splitting their mini-series with Indiana 1-1, and Payton Pritchard was a huge energy boost for them throughout the game.
Despite missing both of his three-point attempts, Pritchard managed to shoot 4-8 from the field. He also tallied five rebounds, five assists, and a steal in a whopping 27 minutes played. If you know Brad Stevens you know he doesn't like to play rookies much, so this is a huge sign of faith for the 26th overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. Pritchard looked great all throughout the game, but his ball-handling and energy was what helped carry the Celtics to an eventual victory. He ended up playing over 10 minutes in the fourth quarter, solidifying the fact that he has started to earn the trust of Coach Stevens.
To put this accomplishment into context, the only rookies that Stevens has ever played over 20 minutes a night (over the course of an entire season) have been Kelly Olynyk, Marcus Smart, and Jayson Tatum. This in no way means that Pritchard will turn out to be as good as some of the players in that group, but at the very least it does mean that the kid can ball.
Hopefully he can continue to play at this level for the rest of the year, and his first opportunity to do so will be when the C’s take on the Grizzlies at 7:30 PM EST.
