Payton Pritchard has unlocked a never-before-seen model of himself that’s propelled the reigning champion Boston Celtics night time after night time, and it’s allowed the undersized guard to start securing some early-season award consideration.
Pritchard answered the decision to motion once more Thursday, this time by giving the Celtics 31 minutes off the bench towards the Detroit Pistons. Celtics star Jayson Tatum was dominated out (proper knee tendinopathy) earlier than tip-off, leaving a scoring void to be crammed and that’s precisely the place Pritchard got here in with a team-leading 27 factors and 10 assists to notch his first double-double of the season. It not solely propelled Boston to a win over Detroit but additionally strengthened Pritchard’s Sixth Man of the Yr marketing campaign.
“It’s not one thing I actually take into consideration,” Pritchard advised reporters postgame, per CLNS Media. “If I’m lucky to win, that’s a testomony to the exhausting work I put in and I believe it simply signifies that I’ve helped this crew coming off the bench and doing my job at a excessive stage. It’s not one thing I’m like if I don’t win or I win it’s make or break it for me. I’m gonna proceed to maintain doing what I’m doing, however yeah, it could be an honor.”
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Setting the bar was difficult coming into Boston’s clear slate. Pritchard was recent off a championship wherein he’d cement his legacy by draining a buzzer-beating half-court shot in Sport 5 of the NBA Finals. He’d already been paid, signing a four-year, $30 million extension previous to the beginning of final season and the function was carved out for him — come off the bench, hold the assist-to-turnover ratio as environment friendly as attainable and hearth away from 3-point vary. However one way or the other, Pritchard has discovered a manner to boost that bar.
Pritchard isn’t settling for being the feel-good story man off the bench who’s straightforward to drag for and able to hitting an enormous shot right here and there. No, as a substitute the Oregon product is striving to be essentially the most priceless reserve possibility the NBA has to supply.
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Thus far, Pritchard’s breakout yr has him averaging a career-high 16.5 factors — which additionally leads all bench gamers within the league — and three.3 rebounds, capturing 48.8% from the sphere and 43.2% from 3-point vary. Pritchard drained his five hundredth profession three on Thursday night time, making him the tenth participant in Celtics historical past to take action. It additionally elevated Pritchard’s season whole of 3-pointers to 96, which eclipses everybody within the NBA apart from Anthony Edwards (103) of the Minnesota Timberwolves.
“He simply likes to compete,” Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla mentioned Thursday night time, per CLNS Media. “So on the finish of the day, I take pleasure in it, teammates take pleasure in it. It’s enjoyable simply watching him compete at a excessive stage. He doesn’t actually play to a scoreboard. He simply performs to compete and that’s a good looking reward that he has.”
Pritchard made seven of Boston’s 20 3-pointers on Thursday night time, making the league lead a really possible feat for the versatile Celtics bench maestro because the season rolls alongside.
