Payton Pritchard’s prowess can no longer be denied

BOSTON — As Payton Pritchard zoomed down the floor, with the ball in his hand and the clock winding down, time appeared to freeze at TD Garden.

There are very few moments in which the typically-raucous Boston crowd goes quiet, but every fan in the building knows to lock in, and watch in anticipation as the scrappy point guard sprints up the court.

Six seconds, five seconds, four seconds, three seconds.

It was quickly apparent that Pritchard was headed right toward his spot, where he would raise up for a three at the end-of-third-quarter buzzer.

Nothing but net.

An exasperated Doc Rivers put his face in his hands in frustration before Pritchard even let go of the ball — and the crowd that collectively held its breath in preparation for the quintessential moment loudly rejoiced. In a flash, as they’ve done countless times these past few years, Pritchard’s teammates embraced him at center court.

Only each time he does it, there’s slightly less shock on his teammates’ faces — and significantly more reverence.

Payton Pritchard’s end-of-quarter threes have become a quintessential part of NBA basketball. Even the most casual fans know what to expect in those final seconds.

“I live for those moments — clock winding down and six seconds left, get to a spot and raise [up],” Pritchard said. “I kind of blackout in those moments and just let it fly. And, obviously it works out a lot of the time.”

One night, it’s a pull-up three, the next day, it’s a three-quarters court heave. It doesn’t really matter how much time is left or where he gets the ball — everyone in the arena knows that Pritchard will find a way to let it fly.

And, there’s a very good chance the opponent will walk away completely demoralized. In this instance, a five-point Celtics lead quickly became eight.

“If there’s six seconds left on the clock, about to end a quarter, I immediately look for Payton,” Jrue Holiday said after Tuesday night’s 119-108 win over the Bucks. “He just has a knack to score. He has so many different ways to do it, he gets in the paint, halfcourt shot… the way that he puts that ball in the basket is amazing.”

He’s done it countless times now, the most famous being in Game 5 of the NBA Finals last year, when he hit a halfcourt shot in his only seconds of the game. Legend had it that Pritchard even subbed himself in during Game 2 of the NBA Finals in order to hit a buzzer-beater.

Payton Pritchard is showing what he can do with an increased opportunity

Diminishing Pritchard’s night to just his signature shot would be a disservice, because while the extra basket was an undeniable momentum-shifter, Pritchard’s contributions have extended far beyond heaves this season.

No longer is the 6’1 guard getting up just a couple shots a night in inconsistent minutes. On Tuesday, in a game against an Eastern Conference foe, he exploded for 28 points on 10-14 shooting, including 8-12 from three. When Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum struggled in the first half, Pritchard kept the Celtics in the game.

“Payton, what he does speaks for itself,” said Brown postgame, seemingly at a loss for words. “Payton is a killer.”

With fellow bench sniper Sam Hauser out the past three games with back pain, Pritchard has capitalized on increased touches and minutes. In the past three games, he’s averaged 20.7 points on 60.7% shooting, while drilling 18 of 29 three-point attempts.

Brad Stevens and Joe Mazzulla both spoke about Pritchard glowingly throughout the 2022 season that saw him fall out of the rotation in favor of Sixth Man of the Year Malcolm Brogdon. Now, with the primary guard responsibilities off the bench, Pritchard has demonstrated exactly why the Celtics prioritized extending him last offseason, despite his limited on-court opportunities. Every time he’s given a chance to have a bigger role, he’s shown he’s capable.

Joe Mazzulla said postgame that Pritchard’s competitiveness is the thing that stands out most about him, regardless of what the rotation looks like or how many minutes he plays.

“He doesn’t care about the circumstances,” he said. “He doesn’t give two shits about anything other than competing at the highest level.”

Fittingly, Pritchard takes a lot of pride in the label of being ‘most competitive.’

“I’m probably the most competitive on our team,” he said. “I hate losing in anything, I want to win at everything, it doesn’t matter if we’re playing whiffle ball before practice, I want to win. That’s how I’ve always been, and it’s probably why I’m here today.”

The Bucks knew Pritchard was coming, but it didn’t seem to matter

Doc Rivers said he circled Pritchard’s name on Monday morning, cognizant of how much he can impact a basketball game. Last time the Bucks were in town last March, Pritchard had another stellar showing, logging 19 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists.

“He’s just tough — little tough dude,” Rivers said. “He’s that little pest that just gets under everybody’s skin, keeps coming. Gritty, smart — but he’s talented. He shoots the hell out of the ball. He’s got a knack for stripping guys on rebounds. He knows how to play basketball. He’s perfect for that team.”

And, while Milwaukee may have been prepared, the heads up didn’t seem to matter, as Pritchard nonetheless put together one of his most impactful bench performances as a Celtic, tying a franchise record for most threes off the bench.

“We talked about it before the game started,” Damian Lillard said. “We can’t let him come in and have that type of impact on the game. He came out and had that type of impact on the game.”

The standout performance by the point guard came on the heels of a viral video his wife Emma posted on Instagram the day prior, in which he was spontaneously playing pickup basketball with a young kid at a Seaport park.

“I had a beanie on and I didn’t think anybody would really notice me, but these kids saw me from afar and they were yelling,” Pritchard explained after the win. “I ended up going over there. It was low key, really messing around, just playing 1-on-1 with them. They were actually pretty good, little scrappy kids just getting after it. I definitely appreciate it and I was talking to them. I like moments like that. Felt like a kid again, playing outside.”

It’s a simple story that perfectly captures Pritchard and his undying obsession with the sport — even on his Sunday day off, he couldn’t stay away from the courts.

“He got me ready,” Pritchard joked about the 1-on-1 matchup in his sideline interview with NBC Sport Boston’s Abby Chin. “I played well today.”

That unwavering passion is a part of why he captured the hearts of Bostonians and of the basketball community at large. Today, just a few years after he unsuccessfully requested a trade, Pritchard has emerged as one of the most beloved players in Boston.

“I think it comes because I look like an ordinary person,” Pritchard said of the support he’s been met with in Boston. “And I feel like I give hope to everybody that is the same size as me. I’m not necessarily the most athletic, but with hard work you can make it a long way and I feel like I am the prime example of that. I’ll never quit and I’ll keep going. Anything you put your mind to in life, you can accomplish it. I’m proud to give hope to those people.”

Pritchard’s ceiling remains undetermined

Jrue Holiday knows that Pritchard could play a larger role on 29 other NBA teams.

“He’s possibly a starter on any other team,” Holiday said on Monday night.

But on this team, Pritchard has embraced the opportunity to serve as yet another weapon on team with two current All-Stars (Brown and Tatum), three former All-Stars (Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford, and Holiday), and one likely candidate (Derrick White).

Amidst all that talent, he’s established himself as a guy who can’t be forgotten about.

“He’s always looking up to put pressure on the defense,” Brown said. “If you don’t pay attention to him, you don’t guard him, he’ll light you up. We just played through him tonight.”

On Monday night, Pritchard showcased what he is capable of when the opportunity is there and the shot is falling. He recognizes that this season is an opportunity to continue demonstrating his capabilities on a much larger scale.

And, if these first few weeks are any indication, we’re watching a tremendous leap right before our eyes.