Joe Mazzulla Reveals What Payton Pritchard Means To Celtics After Monster Game 4 Vs. 76ers originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
This season has been a rollercoaster for Payton Pritchard.
Fresh off winning NBA Sixth Man of the Year, he became a regular starter for the first time after the Boston Celtics lost Jayson Tatum to injury and a number of veterans over the offseason.
He started for half the season and excelled in his new role. After the Celtics traded their top bench scorer, Anfernee Simons, at the deadline, however, he moved back to the bench, where he continued to flourish.
Pritchard got off to a slow start in Boston's first-round playoff series against the Philadelphia 76ers before erupting for a game-high 32 points in Game 4 on Sunday. It was also a postseason career high for the 28-year-old guard.
After the game, Joe Mazzulla praised Pritchard for his impressive growth and contributions over his six seasons with the Celtics.
Joe Mazzulla on on Payton Pritchard setting a new playoff career-high with 32 points:"He's been on a journey since he's gotten in the NBA and he's started, he's not started, has come off the bench but throughout it he's kept a level of professionalism, consistency, but like… pic.twitter.com/uTIZkwBFmW
"He's been on a journey since he's gotten in the NBA and he's started, he's not started, has come off the bench but throughout it he's kept a level of professionalism, consistency, but like mental toughness," Mazzulla said during his postgame press conference. "We're at our best when he's aggressive and he's bought into any role that's necessary to winning and just cares about competing."
That's certainly true of Pritchard, who's moved seamlessly between the bench and starting lineup. He's always been willing to do whatever he can to help the team win and is a huge reason for Boston's success over the last few years, especially on Sunday night.
The Celtics wouldn't be where they are without Pritchard, who's their third-best scorer behind Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown despite coming off the bench. That would have seemed shocking a few years ago, but it speaks to his impressive growth, commitment, and confidence in his abilities.
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