Boston Celtics: 3 takeaways from last-second win over Miami Heat

Boston Celtics takeaway No. 3) Damian Lillard was right about Payton Pritchard

When the Boston Celtics opted to draft Payton Pritchard 26th overall in this past draft, many fans were perplexed and, frankly, not quite sure who the point guard was.

NBA superstar, Damian Lillard, on the other hand, was seemingly quite big on the prospect and took to Twitter to voice his enthusiasm about him making it to the league.

Right from the jump, Lillard was praising Prichard’s hard work and hustle and, through nine games, Cs fans are getting a glimpse of what the Trail Blazers star was saying.

Averaging 8.3 points, 3.2 assists, and 1.2 steals per game on 50 percent shooting from the field and 35 percent shooting from deep, the 6-1 guard is making a name for himself within the C’s rotation and, to some, is shaping up to be perhaps the steal of the 2020 draft.

His hustle was on full display during the outing, as he found himself battling down low for six rebounds despite his smaller-stature, even finding himself nabbing two late in the game over All-Star Bam Adebayo.

Not only this, but his hustle and high-motor resulted in his last-second put-back layup after a Marcus Smart miss with .2 seconds left on the game clock to, ultimately, win the game.

Finishing the night with six points and four assists on top of his impressive board total, his game against Miami was simply yet another example of why Damian Lillard was right to be excited about Payton Pritchard making it to the next level.