Joe Mazzulla Praises Payton Pritchard's Fourth-Quarter Performance in C's Win vs. 76ers

Payton Pritchard led all scorers in the fourth quarter, producing ten points to help the Celtics prevail against the Sixers.
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On Friday night at TD Garden, the Boston Celtics picked up a 125-119 win over the Philadelphia 76ers. 

After going scoreless through three quarters, Payton Pritchard paced all participants in the final frame, registering ten points for the hosts, who were without Jayson Tatum after he picked up his second technical for arguing with the officials after getting called for a flagrant foul in the previous period.

The former Oregon Duck also dished out five assists in a victory he played a crucial role in.

Per Inside The Celtics, his head coach, Joe Mazzulla, expressed the following about Pritchard’s fourth-quarter impact.

"That's the guy," said Boston's bench boss. "That's Payton. That's why he's so competitive. That's why he does what he does. And that's why, no matter what happens, you can always rely on him... Made the right plays, competed on the defensive end, pick-up points were great, ball pressure was good, got in there for rebounding, and he scored at different levels… That's him."

The Celtics’ next game is scheduled for Monday, Dec. 4, against the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse; tip-off is at 7:30 p.m. EST. The winner will advance to the semifinals of the NBA In-Season Tournament. 

Further Reading

Joe Mazzulla Praises Payton Pritchard's Fourth-Quarter Performance vs. Philadelphia 76ers

Here's What Stood Out as Celtics Earned Ugly Win vs. 76ers

Celtics Share Their Perspective of NBA's Flawed but Successful In-Season Tournament

Celtics' Focus on Winning Habits Keys Blowout vs. Bulls, Helping Them Advance in In-Season Tournament

An Empowered Jaylen Brown Strives to Balance Scoring with Playmaking: 'I've Grown A Lot'

Celtics' Loss to Magic Highlights Their Most Concerning Traits

Jaylen Brown, Kristaps Porzingis Discuss Their Quickly Cultivated Chemistry: 'An Automatic Connection'

Joe Mazzulla Believes Celtics' Second Unit is 'Starting to Develop an Identity'

Kristaps Porzingis Gives Glimpse of How He'll Boost Celtics Late-Game Offense

Under Joe Mazzulla, Celtics Rebuilding Brotherhood Between Past and Present


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Eric Jay Santos
ERIC JAY SANTOS

Eric Jay Santos covers the Boston Celtics for Sports Illustrated Media Group. He holds a BA in English from Bridgewater State University. Contact: ericjaysantos@msn.com