It might have been the last game of the 2022-23 NBA season. But reserve Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard made the most of it, and by the end of the game, the Portland Native found himself landing among the storied ball club’s all-time greats.
Putting up an impressive 30 points, 14 rebounds, and 11 assists in a rare opportunity for extended floor time, Pritchard did something no other Celtic has done apart from Hall of Famers Larry Bird and John Havlicek. Asked about his historic outing postgame, Pritchard replied that it was a “special crew to be a part of. I definitely feel honored.”
“I looked forward to these last two games,” he continued. “It’s an opportunity for me to go out and play and show what I’m capable of, and to try and get a win.”
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“There’s going to be ups and downs, and I think every NBA player goes through it,” said the Oregon native of his lack of regular playing time this season. “I think it’s through those down parts, how you approach it.”
“A lot of it is frustrating, and I went through a lot of frustrating times, but I always went back to work, to finding little areas to always keep getting better.”
From the looks of the history he made in Game 82 of the 2022-23 season, it seems that strategy is a good one.
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