Inside The Celtics

Payton Pritchard and an Egregious Call Spark Celtics in Victory vs. Bucks

Bobby Krivitsky

Oct 28, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) dribbles down the court defended by Milwaukee Bucks guard Gary Trent Jr (5) during the first half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images
Oct 28, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) dribbles down the court defended by Milwaukee Bucks guard Gary Trent Jr (5) during the first half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images / Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images
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Monday night at TD Garden, the Celtics hosted the Bucks in a potential Eastern Conference Finals preview.

While the visitors were without Khris Middleton, who, pregame, Doc Rivers said remains without a timetable for his return from bilateral ankle surgery during the offseason, Boston was missing Sam Hauser (lower back pain) for the third straight matchup.

While the Celtics' stars struggled for much of the game, an egregious missed call in the third quarter ignited the home team and its crowd, leading to a run that represented the turning point in the tilt.

More on that in the following deep dive into what stood out as Monday's clash unfolded.

1. The most surprising development of the first quarter was seeing Joe Mazzulla give Jordan Walsh an early opportunity. The second-year wing subbed in with 5:36 left in the period, with Milwaukee leading 15-14.

Walsh, who impressed in the preseason and has benefitted from bulking up, quickly responded by keeping Brook Lopez off the glass. That sealed a shot-clock violation by the Bucks. However, he also missed a pair of clean looks at corner threes.

The Celtics got a spark from the only player who checked in off the bench before Walsh, Payton Pritchard. The former Oregon Duck buried a three, dove on the floor to force a turnover, and swooped in for an offensive rebound, generating an extra opportunity for the hosts.

If not for a Gary Trent Jr. buzzer-beating triple, Boston would have taken the lead into the second frame; instead, the visitors held a 29-28 edge after the opening 12 minutes.

2. As both teams struggled to find their rhythm, entering halftime shooting below 44 percent from the field, Pritchard's shot-making became even more critical.

The four-year veteran knocked down four of his first five shots. He was 7/10 at intermission, including 5/8 from behind the arc, one of those being a make from 34 feet.

After scoring 19 points in the first half, he subbed out to a loud ovation from the TD Garden faithful with 3:44 left in the second quarter.

3. Despite Pritchard's contributions, with Jayson Tatum 4/11, including 0/4 from three-point range after the initial 24 minutes, and Jaylen Brown 2/8 with three turnovers, the Celtics trailed the Bucks 56-63 at the break.

It was particularly surprising not to see Brown playing with the passion and fire he's known for, given that Grant Hill, the managing director for the United States Olympic men's basketball team, was sitting courtside, calling the game for NBATV.

Brown's struggles reached a point where he missed 21 of his last 25 shots over a multi-game span before stepping into a mid-range jump shot early in the third frame.

4. However, Boston's stars rose to the occasion in the third period.

Tatum was frustrated throughout the matchup and picked up a technical shortly before the officials refused to reward him for hoisting an airball from beyond the arc, thinking he got fouled. He applied his anger by blocking a Damian Lillard three-point attempt.

At the other end of the floor, a Jrue Holiday triple was the first basket in a 7-0 run featuring multiple drives by Brown, including freezing Taurean Prince with a hesitation dribble before blowing by him and going through Bobby Portis' chest for two points and flexing after the basket. That put the hosts ahead 79-75 with 4:04 left in the third quarter.

5. When the officials egregiously ruled a shot clock violation on Jrue Holiday, missing that the ball had left his hand in time and that his shot bounced off the rim, it evoked a more animated reaction than one is accustomed to seeing from the two-time All-Star.

It also led to a delay-of-game against Joe Mazzulla and ignited the Celtics and the home crowd. They responded with a three-point barrage, including multiple makes by Derrick White and a buzzer-beater by Pritchard from 26 feet.

Boston ended the third frame on an 11-2 run, taking a 90-82 edge into the final 12 minutes.

6. A surprising contributor to that burst was Jordan Walsh. The 20-year-old wing crashed the glass on a missed three by Pritchard, drawing a foul on Prince. After extending the possession, Walsh cleaned up a shot off the mark by White, further rewarding his head coach's decision to go back to him.

7. With six Celtics players scoring in double figures, the reigning champions built a 14-point lead in the fourth quarter, saw the Bucks narrow the gap, then grew their advantage to 15.

Boston did an outstanding job of protecting the three-point line, and its pace, ball movement, and spacing sparked seven assists on its first ten field goals.

The hosts had 12 points in the paint and made three of its first six threes before Doc Rivers waved the white flag, subbing Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard with 2:44 remaining and his team trailing 115-100.

From there, Boston applied the finishing touches on a 119-108 victory.

Up next: The Celtics travel to Indiana for an Eastern Conference Finals rematch with the Pacers on Wednesday night. That game will tip off at 7:00 p.m. EST.

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Bobby Krivitsky
BOBBY KRIVITSKY

Bobby Krivitsky's experiences include covering the NBA as a credentialed reporter for Basketball Insiders. He's also a national sports talk host for SportsMap Radio, a network airing on 96 radio stations throughout the country. Additionally, he was a major-market host, update anchor, and producer for IMG Audio, and he worked for Bleacher Report as an NFL and NBA columnist.

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