{"id":106846,"date":"2024-03-21T18:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-03-21T18:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.celticsblog.com\/2024\/3\/21\/24107425\/payton-pritchard-boston-celtics-joe-mazzulla-milwaukee-bucks-patrick-beverly-luke-kornet"},"modified":"2024-03-21T18:00:00","modified_gmt":"2024-03-21T18:00:00","slug":"payton-pritchard-has-that-dawg-in-him","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gamefootballmobileanimeiphone.com\/index.php\/2024\/03\/21\/payton-pritchard-has-that-dawg-in-him\/","title":{"rendered":"Payton Pritchard has that dawg in him\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n \"NBA:
Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Pritchard put together an inspiring performance to help the Celtics to a 122-119 win over the Bucks \u2014 their 7th consecutive victory. <\/p>\n

A year ago today, Payton Pritchard was completely out of the Celtics\u2019 rotation. He had lobbied for a trade prior to the All-Star break, desperate to get to a team where he\u2019d see the court, but the Celtics decided to hold onto him, continuing to proclaim their long-term belief in his work ethic and play. <\/p>\n

The rest is history. <\/p>\n

One year later, Pritchard is a star in his role. He has the third-highest net rating in the league at +12.9, in a career-high 21.1 minutes per game. <\/p>\n

He\u2019s scored in double figures in six of his last seven performances \u2014 including a 19-point, 6-rebound effort in a 122-119 win over the Bucks on Thursday night. In March, he\u2019s shooting 41.9% from downtown \u2014 and after a cold spell to start to the season, he\u2019s up to 38.3% from three on the year.<\/p>\n

\n \"Boston
\n Photo by Matt Stone\/MediaNews Group\/Boston Herald via Getty Images<\/cite>
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And yet, stats can\u2019t completely capture his impact on the Celtics\u2019 second unit, nor do they tell the story of his growth over the last few years. He\u2019s been the primary creator and facilitator of a Celtics\u2019 bench that has consistently ranked among the best in the league, and has made a habit of securing timely offensive rebounds over guys with a significantly height advantage.<\/p>\n

\u201c[He\u2019s] just finding ways to impact the game,\u201d Joe Mazzulla said after the Bucks win, the Celtics\u2019 seventh in a row. \u201cEverybody always talked about his shooting, but this year in particular, he\u2019s been impacted by his rebounding, he\u2019s been impacted by his defense, his pace, getting down the floor and getting us into our actions quick in the shot clock. He\u2019s just becoming a well-rounded player who knows he can make a positive impact in many different ways, and it\u2019s a huge asset for us.\u201d <\/p>\n

The win over Milwaukee was his third excellent game in a row. On Monday, he exploded for 23 points and 7 assists against the Pistons. The day prior, he dished out a career-high 13 assists in a victory over the Wizards.<\/p>\n

But this one felt a little different. Maybe that\u2019s because the match-up had a playoff-like atmosphere, as Pritchard said after the game. Or maybe it\u2019s because the game included one of the most animated stretches of Pritchard\u2019s season, which came after the Bucks\u2019 Patrick Beverly hit Luke Kornet with the \u2018too little\u2019 gesture.<\/p>\n

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PAT BEV HIT LUKE KORNET WITH THE TOO SMALL @patbev21<\/a> @PatBevPod<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/nz3ys1cvYf<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) March 21, 2024<\/a>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n