Former Oregon Duck basketball player Payton Pritchard was little more than a cheerleader one season ago.
was little more than a cheerleader as the Boston Celtics had a wealth of talent at the guard position. That all changed this year as the Celtics cleared a logjam at this position. Now,“I think that’s really what it comes down to, all the work, the hours I’ve put in - It’s just built confidence,” Pritchard said. “Now I just feel like I can go against anybody.”The Cavaliers, down by 23 points at one time, cut the lead to single digits partway through the fourth quarter.
With 7:42 left in the game, Pritchard stepped inside the Cavs' logo at midcourt and buried the three-point shot to stem the Cleveland surge and increase Boston’s lead to 12. In addition, his basket started a 10-5 run and helped seal a 106-93 Celtic win to take a 2-1 series lead. With Pritchard’s confident play, don’t be surprised to see his role increased as the Celtics continue their march to a championship.
The confidence Boston has in the former Oregon guard is reflected in his minutes. Consider the series against the Miami Heat last year, Pritchard played 12 minutes in game one, did not play in game two and 12 minutes in game three. Over the final games in the series, he was on the court for nine minutes combined.“It’s been good. I’m ready for it,” Pritchard said. “This is what I want to do and be a part of this. So that’s kind of what I talked about last year and that’s what I wanted.
Now that Pritchard is an integral member of this team, his play has earned accolades from his teammates including all-star“Payton is one of the most confident guys I’ve ever been around. He walks out there like he’s the best player,” said Tatum. “To have that confidence is special and we need him to be like that.” Sometimes, given all that Pritchard does, his shooting ability is usually an afterthought.
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