Boston Celtics
Pritchard scored 33 factors on Saturday evening.
Payton Pritchard had an enormous third quarter that propelled the Celtics sans Jaylen Brown to a gutsy 112-96 win over the Raptors on Saturday.
Listed here are the takeaways.
Payton Pritchard went off (and saved the Celtics alive).
The Celtics have been on the verge of letting Saturday’s recreation slip away within the third quarter, however Pritchard had no intention of letting that occur.
With Jaylen Brown sidelined on the second evening of a back-to-back on the street, the Celtics trailed by seven with 5 minutes left within the third. They’d already thrown a first-half punch with a 16-0 run within the first quarter, which the Raptors absorbed and countered, and the Celtics’ offense sputtered at instances within the second and third quarters.
However Pritchard — who was already in a little bit of a rhythm — hit a tricky stepback two that trimmed the result in 5. On the subsequent possession, he zigged and zagged by means of the paint earlier than dishing to Sam Hauser for a triple. On the subsequent possession, he drilled a 3-pointer of his personal. Abruptly, the Celtics had flipped the deficit right into a lead.
The Celtics and Raptors exchanged blows, however Pritchard took management for the remainder of the interval — he scored or assisted on each Celtics basket as they constructed a three-point lead getting into the fourth.
Pritchard flirted with a triple-double (and even stole a rebound from Derrick White within the closing seconds, lengthy after his near-triple-double was a misplaced trigger), posting 33 factors on 13-for-24 taking pictures to go together with eight rebounds and 10 assists. He was 4-for-9 from deep, however the bulk of his scoring got here from his forays into the paint — vanishingly few gamers of Pritchard’s stature can get to their spots as simply as he can, and he makes quick jumpers over greater gamers look far simpler than they’ve any proper to look.
On an evening when the Celtics have been with out Brown and when Derrick White shot 5-for-20 from the sphere (extra on this in a minute), they managed to win for a number of completely different causes, however the greatest one was that Pritchard can now be the driving engine for a crew in a win over an excellent opponent.
It’s going to be tough for Celtics followers to stay calm about Hugo González.
González performed a career-high in minutes in opposition to the Warmth on Friday, and with Jordan Walsh barely wholesome sufficient to play on Saturday with an sickness, González had one other massive alternative that he seized tight sufficient to throttle it.
For the second straight night, González recorded 10 factors, two steals and a block, however on Saturday, he added 10 rebounds to his whole — his first profession double-double.
After the Celtics’ win over the Warmth, Joe Mazzulla praised González’s potential to play exhausting, however he’s additionally a really clever participant, with none “for a rookie” caveat mandatory. That’s to not say González is at all times polished, however he reads passing lanes at a really superior stage, and he’s hyper-aggressive in attacking them to attempt to create turnovers. His late steal and ensuing two-handed slam left Brian Scalabrine chortling on the audacious 19-year-old on the NBC Sports activities Boston broadcast.
González is commonly remarked upon when the Celtics play on nationwide TV (Stan Van Gundy specifically appears to like him), despite the fact that he’s but to meaningfully break by means of into the nationwide media consciousness.
That’s effective and fully excusable on all sides — this rookie class is absurdly loaded, and González was averaging 12 minutes and 4 factors per recreation getting into Saturday’s recreation.
However Celtics followers are additionally properly inside their rights to be excited. Rookies aren’t speculated to be as NBA-ready as González is shortly proving himself.
Derrick White is heating up.
At a look, White’s recreation regarded like a tricky night following his massive outing main the Celtics to a win over the Warmth — he was 5-for-20 and 4-for-12 from three.
Nevertheless, upon nearer inspection, White pitched in some essential contributions. He pulled up out of the pick-and-roll for a 3-pointer from far behind the road on the 9:12 mark within the fourth quarter that pushed a seven-point benefit to double digits, and a minute later, he curled round a display screen twice because the ball-handler and drilled one other that made the lead 13.
One other minute later, White navigated a display screen, felt some contact, and elevated to financial institution in an and-one floater.
A lot has been made from White’s struggles to deal with elevated duties this season, however he’s beginning to get the cling of this. He appears extra snug pulling the set off on the sorts of photographs {that a} high-volume pick-and-roll ball-handler must be prepared to take, and he’s at all times been a stable passer out of the pick-and-roll — he dished out seven assists Saturday.
Luka Garza received minutes and performed properly.
Garza had acquired DNP-CDs in six of the Celtics’ final eight video games, and simply two minutes in one of many video games during which he did seem. He appears to have fallen out of the Celtics’ rotation as Mazzulla favors a small-ball lineup that provides extra defensive versatility and the chance to circulation faster up and down the ground.
What that lineup can’t do, nevertheless, is hammer the offensive glass as exhausting as Garza, who made a triumphant return to the rotation with a weird statline: 12 factors and 10 rebounds … 9 (9!) of which have been offensive.
Garza’s nostril for the ball was on full show — he took benefit of the best way the Raptors have been defending the pick-and-roll to sneak in behind the protection and discover his option to quite a few offensive boards, rescuing plenty of possessions for others even when he didn’t immediately rating the put-back. The Celtics even briefly tried a double-big lineup, though Mazzulla ducked away from it after a few transient minutes.
The Celtics in all probability aren’t going to reintroduce Garza to the rotation, however on a crew that always wants contributions from odd sources, Garza reminded followers that he’s succesful.
Baylor Scheierman shortly redeemed himself.
In his first few possessions off the bench within the third and fourth quarters, Scheierman regarded hesitant and off-kilter. He dedicated two fast fouls, racked up a 3rd and a turnover in brief order with a transferring display screen, missed a 3-pointer badly, and gave up a nook 3-pointer earlier than he appeared to search out his footing.
However to his monumental credit score, Scheierman discovered it. He scored a tricky driving layup, then turned protection into offense with maybe the play of the sport: This steal and behind-the-head dish to a flying González in transition.
Scheierman disrupted and created one other steal for good measure earlier than he was faraway from the sport within the fourth. His night shortly shifted from “why is he on the market?” to “he helped the Celtics win,” which isn’t a straightforward shift to make.
Anfernee Simons is a tricky shot maker.
If there’s one factor Anfernee Simons can do, it’s make powerful photographs, and he does so with a creative aptitude.
None of Simons’ 15 factors on Friday have been straightforward — all have been closely contested, and all got here off the dribble out of the pick-and-roll. He isn’t essentially the most impactful participant on a crew as laser-focused on successful because the Celtics (there’s a cause Payton Pritchard has maintained a stranglehold on his spot within the beginning lineup), however Simons is supremely proficient and has the uncommon potential to attain extremely tough photographs and make them look easy and fluid.
Simons completed with 15 factors on 6-for-9 taking pictures to go together with an help and two steals.
What’s subsequent
The Celtics will shut out their three-games-in-four-nights stretch at TD Backyard once they tackle the Pacers on Monday. They’re then off till after Christmas once they face the Pacers once more, this time in Indiana as they begin a five-game street journey that extends to the west coast within the new 12 months.
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