3 X-factors that will help clinch Game 4 series sweep for the Boston Celtics
By Mark Nilon
Boston Celtics player No. 2) Payton Pritchard
After seeing limited run in Game 1, logging less than nine minutes on the day while only taking one attempt from the field, Games 2 and 3 have proven to be some of Payton Pritchard‘s most effective and important outings of his young career.
During this stretch, the sophomore guard has served as perhaps the most integral part of Boston’s bench unit, providing instant offense and that famous energizer-bunny hustle that’s turned him into a household name amongst the franchise’s faithful followers.
Almost singlehandedly changing the C’s fate in Game 2 with his sensational play in the second half, over the last two games Pritchard has found himself putting up sound averages of 10 points, two boards, and an assist on an astoundingly efficient 75 percent shooting from the floor and 40 percent shooting from deep.
Sure, one could make the argument that Grant Williams has been the most pivotal bench player for the shamrocks in this year’s playoffs, but his production on the offensive side of the ball has mainly come from the assistance of other players, specifically when in kick-out scenarios (this is no dis, it’s just a fact of how things have played out thus far).
Pritchard, however, has been a phenomenal offensive creator off the pine thanks to his underrated speed, continuous movement when off-ball, and nifty handles, and, as a result, he has been a major pain for Brooklyn’s cast of characters to try and maintain.
With the defensive gameplan being heavily focused on the likes of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, the Boston Celtics could only benefit from having their role players step up in the scoring department to make the lives of their franchise cornerstones a bit easier and, if the 24-year-old can keep up this level of play, the Nets will only continue to find themselves in big trouble.
Another performance similar to or better than what we’ve seen from Payton Pritchard in these last two outings could wind up being a major reason why the borough boys couldn’t force a Game 5.