Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images
Payton Pritchard, Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics got back to .500 with an impressive win over the LA Clippers on Sunday, Nov. 16. Payton Pritchard enjoyed one of his strongest showings of the young season, ending the night with 30 points, three rebounds and two assists, shooting 10-of-16 from the field.
Despite Pritchard’s impressive showing, there was a moment in the fourth quarter that he will likely want to forget. After Pritchard was switched onto James Harden, the 2025 Sixth Man of the Year found himself stumbling as the former MVP hit him with a hesitation crossover.
When speaking to the media after the game, Pritchard saw the funny side as he shared his thoughts on the possession.
Despite getting cooked by one of the greatest scorers in league history, Pritchard had the last laugh. Boston found a way to stay connected during the clutch, earning their seventh win in 14 games.
Celtics’ Pritchard Is Breaking Out Of His Slump
To begin the season, Pritchard was struggling when shooting the ball. Over the opening 10 games, the Oregon native was converting at a 26.7% clip from the perimeter, on 7.5 three-point attempts per game. Pritchard wasn’t alone, as his backcourt partner, Derrick White, was also finding it difficult to hit the bottom of the net.
Fortunately for Boston, both Pritchard and White have begun to break out of their cold spell. Joe Mazzulla has made some minor tweaks to the offensive system, with White sliding into a slightly more off-ball roll, and Pritchard picking up the additional on-ball duties.
That slight tweak has put both guards in position to succeed, and that was evident on Sunday.
Celtics’ Pritchard Praises James Harden
During his postgame media availability, Pritchard was full of praise for Harden. The All-Star scorer ended the night with 37 points, 8 assists and 7 rebounds, shooting 45.5% from deep on 11 three-point shots.
“Yeah, he had some incredible shots,” Pritchard said. “Honestly, it was just a good play by them. Zubac (Ivica Zubac) caught it. Someone could learn from it—we could probably foul Zubac in that situation, put him at the line then rebound—but that was a good play. Harden had a good shot, but yeah, scoring nine points in that time is crazy.”
Pritchard is in his sixth NBA season. He’s faced off against Harden before. However, now that he’s in the starting lineup, he finds himself seeing more of Harden than in previous years. Nevertheless, the Celtics found ways to contain the Clippers. That’s why Harden’s scoring exploits came without reward.
The Celtics will face the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday, Nov. 18. And while that will be a different test for Boston, Brooklyn’s 2-11 record to begin the season should give them some confidence.
Celtics fans will undoubtedly be hoping that both Pritchard and White can continue to find a rhythm. After all, they will hold the keys to the Celtics’ offense moving forward.
Adam Taylor is a basketball reporter covering the Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks and Miami Heat for Heavy. He holds bylines for CelticsBlog, USA Today and Yardbarker. Adam also covers the WWE and AEW. He has a bachelor’s degree in creative writing from Open University. More about Adam Taylor
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