Payton Pritchard explains mindset that fueled his latest masterpiece

Payton Pritchard took on a starring role in the Boston Celtics' 109-102 victory vs. the Atlanta Hawks. The hosts' second unit was at the heart of their win at TD Garden on Friday night. Their sixth man was the fulcrum.

After a slow start and falling behind 25-9, the shot-making from him and Derrick White, coupled with an infusion of energy from Boston's bench, fueled a 17-4 run to close the first frame. The Celtics' second unit entered halftime having outscored their counterparts on the Hawks 33-14. Pritchard produced 19 of those on 8/11 shooting. His output equaled Jalen Johnson's for the most in the matchup at the intermission.

The former Oregon Duck is a relentless ball of energy. He pushes the pace off makes, keeping him out of the paint feels impossible, and there's what seems like a Stephen Curry influence to his game this year as he gives up the ball and sprints to get it back. It's another way for him to capitalize on his quickness and create headaches for a defense that can't let its guard down when he's on the floor.

Pritchard finished Friday's win with a game-high 36 points on 13/23 shooting (56.5 percent). He knocked down 6/11 three-point attempts (54.5 percent). He led the way as Boston's bench outscored Atlanta's 55-18. The sixth-year guard also grabbed seven rebounds and dished out four assists.

Despite Jaylen Brown's absence due to left Achilles tendinitis, Pritchard stated post-game that his mindset, not a change in his role, drove his performance.

"I don't think my role changed, then any other night, just come out being aggressive, looking to make plays for my teammates or for myself, and just make the right reads," he said while speaking with the media in the locker room.

The plays that exemplified Pritchard's mindset

The way that the reigning Sixth Man of the Year plays the game captures the aggressive mindset that he's talking about. He's relentless out there. One doesn't become a three-level scorer, who's among the best at producing points in the paint, especially when it comes to playing off two feet, without that mentality.

However, it's not just about his approach to scoring. It's about channeling that fire he plays with to maximize his impact in all facets of the game. His dogged pursuit of offensive rebounds exemplified that.

He outworked Gabe Vincent for a third-quarter put-back. In the final frame, the six-foot-one guard sprinted from the corner, boxing out Nickeil Alexander-Walker to come up with an offensive rebound that led to free throws for Jayson Tatum. Those two makes extended Boston's advantage to 103-97 with 3:03 left.

Then, with the Celtics leading by four, Pritchard, a few steps in front of half court and about even with the center-court logo on the TD Garden parquet, bolted to the basket on a 30-foot Derrick White three-point attempt. His effort resulted in Alexander-Walker sending him to the floor, resulting in a loose-ball foul. That led to another free throw from Tatum, giving the hosts a five-point edge with under two minutes remaining.

"The two plays, right?" said Joe Mazzulla when asked about Pritchard's impact beyond his scoring. "The offensive rebound that he got, it looked like a defensive box out, but he got an offensive rebound, and the foul he drew; they were going out in transition on that play. And that play, that could have changed the game a little bit. And he goes in and crashes, and [it's] just a big-time play. So, the points are one thing, but I thought the ball handling, handling the pressure, he had two offensive rebounds, I think, in the second half there, that were huge for us. So, it's just those big-time plays for us. And, you know, he's not defined by scoring."

Those plays, each worthy of a Tommy Point, were crucial to Boston closing out Friday night's win. They also exemplified the aggressive mindset Pritchard wants to play with every second he's on the floor.

"For sure, [an] aggressive mindset just means you're just -- you're outcompeting your opponent," said Pritchard about his impact on the offensive glass, highlighting the mentality he intends to operate with. "So, that can mean defensively, offensively, on the rebounds, it's a lot of different ways to affect the game."

His 36-point output in Friday's victory will get much of the attention. However, the plays he made on the offensive glass capture his well-rounded impact and the mindset fueling it.