Payton Pritchard Turns Water Into Wine to Beat Heat

Out of the ten Miami and Boston players on the court, nine were wondering if Marcus Smart’s last second layup would give the Celtics a win or evoke overtime. Only one wondered if it would miss, and what he should do if it did.

The attentive man’s name is Payton Pritchard. He took off from the corner, went around three Miami defenders looking up at the basket, leaped, and then was the first to touch the ball as it came off the backboard. Before gravity took him down, Pritchard’s putback attempt swirled around the rim and in to give the Celtics a 107-105 lead with 0.2 seconds left.

After Rob Williams casually swatted away a futile lob attempt to Bam Adebayo, Pritchard had his first career game-winner.

So far, it’s been a hurricane of firsts for Pritchard in the young season. He’s gone from first NBA basket to first game-wining shot in just a couple of weeks, with first team All-NBA probably on the horzion just a few months away.

The rookie did it, and the early success hasn’t led to an inflated ego or created any second-guessing. Pritchard’s still as confident as ever and continues to play the same way that got him here, the Celtics are benefiting tremendously. He’s fitting right in, like a book that slides perfectly into a gap on the bookshelf.

Also I finally settled on a nickname: Little Pritchard. He’ll be singing Lucille in no time.

Other observations from the win:

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• Although Pritchard’s last second putback was amazing and will be an incredible moment to look back on, the Celtics should not have needed it. They led 105-95 with 1:17 remaining, yet the Heat came back in lightning speed. Duncan Robinson hit a three, then converted on a four-point play, and Goran Dragic got a second chance at a three and nailed it to tie the score with 13 seconds left. On the Celtics’ end, Jayson Tatum missed a tough floater, Adebayo rejected Marcus Smart, and Daniel Theis bungled both a layup and a chance at the ensuing offensive rebound. It seemed as if the Heat, who had just come back from beyond the grave, would steal the game in overtime. But Little Pritchard went Tutti Frutti Oh Rudy on ’em to get the win, and after blowing a double digit lead in the final 90 seconds we at least got a Kodak moment to end it.
• Before the Heat comeback, it seemed as if the story of the game would be the clutch shots made by Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown down the stretch. After getting stonewalled at the rim by Bam Adebayo all second half, the Celtics finally stretched out the offense. Brown made two huge threes in the final four minutes and Tatum added one of his own, and over Adebayo no less. A 13-0 Celtics run gave them the late ten-point lead, but obviously things got messy after that. Still, credit to Tatum and Brown. Tatum kept a struggling offense afloat all night, finishing with 27 points on 10-21 shooting and 5-8 from three. Brown came through when it mattered most and put up a stellar 21-12-5 line with two steals and two blocks. Our young duo blots another square on their 2021 Bingo card of greatness.
• A note on uniforms: the Heat’s sucked and the Celtics’ weren’t much better. What happened to the regular white jerseys that just say “Celtics” on the front? These new “Boston” and “Celtics” jerseys should be stored in the practice bin. Too many letters on one shirt. This ain’t the minor leagues, so keep wearing the classics. Was anybody complaining about the old Celtics’ uniforms? No. They’re great. I want to see them again.
• Even though the Heat now have a 3-4 record, no one in Miami should be worried. The Heat still have a sturdy team in place with Adebayo’s defensive dominance, Butler’s annoying ability to both finish around the rim and get fouled, and Duncan Robinson’s wet stroke. Tyler Herro and Goran Dragic have struggled to start the year, so maybe that swap in the starting lineup wasn’t a great idea. Might be time for another swap. But Miami is still really good, and I would not be surprised to meet them in the Eastern Conference Finals again this summer.

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Aaaaaahhhh. 6-3 and it feels so good. Next up, the Celtics come back home to face the 2-6 Wizards. Bradley Beal just scored 60 points against the Sixers, but I guarantee he doesn’t do it again. If he does, I’ll eat a candle.

Can’t wait for tomorrow night. This Celtics team has magic…