Pritchard’s Long-Range Hucks Stun the Bucks

Doc Rivers circled Payton Pritchard’s name Monday morning, labeling him as “the game-changer.” Someone his Bucks should keep an eye on later that night at TD Garden.

The circle didn’t do much help.

Pritchard erupted for 28 points in 28 minutes off the bench while knocking down 8-of-12 from 3-point range, tying Eddie House’s franchise record for threes made by a reserve. The Bucks had prepared for him, yet they still didn’t have an answer for him, and they paid the price in a 119-108 defeat at TD Garden.

“We talked about it before the game started,” Bucks guard Damian Lillard confirmed. “Like, we can’t let him come in and have that type of impact on the game. And he came out and had that type of impact on the game.”

Pritchard kept the Celtics afloat early in the game when some of his teammates were struggling to find their shots, as he finished the first half with 19 points. He had them soaring by the end of the third quarter when he knocked down one of his patented buzzer-beater threes to give Boston a 90-82 lead.

Everyone in the arena knew that the shot was coming. That included Rivers, who was bent over in gut-wrenching anticipation for the duration of Pritchard’s six-second sprint up-court, looking like he didn’t want to witness the inevitable. He watched out of the corner of his eye as Pritchard rose up, and then turned his gaze to the floor when the ball came down through the net.

“It’s a gut punch when you do hit them,” Pritchard said.

But they come as no surprise at this point. Everyone in the world knows he can hit them after he knocked down multiple halfcourt buzzer-beaters in the playoffs last spring, including the NBA Championship-sealing dagger against the Mavericks in Game 5.

Pritchard claims he never practices those shots; they just come naturally when the lights are shining down and he’s in the zone.

“I live for those moments,” he said. “The clock winding down, just to get to a spot and raise. I kind of blackout in those moments and just let it fly. And obviously, it works out a lot of the time for me.”

Pritchard’s shot in general has been working out for him lately. He’s knocked down 18-of-29 from long distance over the last three games while scoring a total of 62 points. He’s playing like a Sixth Man of the Year frontrunner with the confidence of an MVP.

“The kid is just a competitor,” Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla said. “I just love watching him play.”

The same could be said by nearly every person in the arena Monday night. Every person except for Rivers and his Bucks.

“He’s just tough. A little tough dude,” said Rivers. “He’s that little pest that just gets under everybody’s skin, that keeps coming, gritty, smart. But he’s talented. And he shoots the hell out of the ball.”

So circle Pritchard’s name if you must. But that won’t stop him from sending the ball through the circle.