Payton Pritchard might not have had the best start to his season with the Boston Celtics, but he was an instrumental part of the Celtics' upset road win vs. the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday (Nov. 30) evening when his number was called to help star teammate Jaylen Brown provide scoring on a night that saw Pritchard's backcourt copilot Derrick White on the bench nursing a calf contusion.
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla took note of the explosive outburst from the Oregon alum, who scored a season-high 42 points, 3 rebounds, and as many assists shooting 15-of-22 overall and a sizzling 6-of-11 from beyond the arc. "He puts a ton of pressure on himself," said Mazzulla postgame of Pritchard via NBC Sports Boston.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement"You just always know in games where he's not the best version of himself, he's going to bounce back quickly," added the Celtics coach.
Mar 1, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla talks with guard Payton Pritchard (11) from the sideline as they take on the Dallas Mavericks at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports"It's a sign of a great player, and he did that, and he got off to a great start, even with the foul trouble," continued Mazzulla.
"But you saw a difference in his approach, his mindset, and really his aggressiveness. It was just a (expletive) of a game for him."
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This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Mazzulla has praise for Pritchard's 42-pt game vs. Cavs with Celtics
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