Inside The Celtics

Payton Pritchard Discusses Shot That 'Took the Wind' Out of the Cavs

Bobby Krivitsky

Feb 14, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard (11) shoots a three.
Feb 14, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard (11) shoots a three. / David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
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After starting the second half with a ten-point lead, Derrick White burying 4/6 third-quarter threes, earning multiple ovations from the TD Garden faithful, kept the Cavaliers at bay despite a 16-point period from Donovan Mitchell.

That set the stage for a haymaker from Payton Pritchard.

His buzzer-beater from 28 feet extended the Celtics' advantage to 15 entering the final frame. They never looked back, using that momentum as a springboard to a 25-point victory in their Eastern Conference Semifinals series opener.

"I love it; I love buzzer-beating moments," said Pritchard after Boston's 120-95 win in Game 1. "Take it off the rebound, go down, it's an energy-type play. I think it changed the momentum of the game and kind of took the wind out of them. That's why you always have to shoot."

The former Oregon Duck finished with 16 points and five rebounds and converted on 4/10 three-point attempts. None bigger than the one he made to cap the third quarter.

"I don't necessarily practice them," conveyed Pritchard on Wednesday at the Auerbach Center. "I feel like any shot I take can be the end of the shot clock, (the) end of quarters. I'm working on transition pull-ups, which is similar to that."

As for why he's willing to let those shots fly while others around the league opt against a low-percentage attempt that tends to hurt their field goal percentage?

"I've said this before – if you want to dive into percentages and look at what's really good shots, what I'm shooting on those, and we can take those away, then I'll let the front office handle that," stated the 26-year-old guard. "It's a basketball play – we should take those shots, even if it's full-court. What if that goes in? That's another three points."

The three points he produced by not shying from a 28-foot attempt at the end of the third frame on Tuesday played a meaningful role in the Celtics pulling away for a 1-0 series lead as they vie for a third consecutive trip to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Further Reading

Shooting Struggles Not Preventing Jayson Tatum from Positive Impact: 'They'll Fall'

Derrick White Discusses Joining Elite Company in Game 1 Win vs. Cavaliers

Jaylen Brown Leads Celtics to Tone-Setting Win in Game 1 vs. Cavaliers

Celtics Detail Challenge of Containing Donovan Mitchell: 'No Friends in the Playoffs'

Kristaps Porzingis Discusses Target Date to Rejoin Celtics' Playoff Run: 'Doing Everything I Can'

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Bobby Krivitsky

BOBBY KRIVITSKY

Bobby Krivitsky's experiences include covering the NBA as a credentialed reporter for Basketball Insiders. He's also a national sports talk host for SportsMap Radio, a network airing on 96 radio stations throughout the country. Additionally, he was a major-market host, update anchor, and producer for IMG Audio, and he worked for Bleacher Report as an NFL and NBA columnist.