Watch: Payton Pritchard drills insane 3rd quarter bomb to beat the buzzer and sink Mavs in 9-point hole
The Boston Celtics extended their lead to nine points entering the final frame with an insane Payton Pritchard 3-ball to beat the third-quarter buzzer. Pritchard laced that shot in transition from at least 40 feet away to give the Celtics an 83-74 advantage. It was his first make of the game and it couldn't have come at a better time, especially with the Mavericks chipping way at Boston's advantage.
Here's the video of Pritchard's banked 3:
Pritchard had only attempted two shots up until that point in nine minutes. With Jrue Holiday producing a 23-point game up until the third, shooting 10-of-12, Pritchard saw limited playing time before the fourth quarter.
The Celtics' backup guard has given the team massive boosts in late-quarter situations throughout the playoffs, keeping or extending Boston's leads with timely buckets. His 7.0 points and 2.3 assists a game in the 2024 postseason on 40.8% 3-point shooting sum up the punch he provides in his 20.6 minutes of limited playing time on average.
Payton Pritchard earns glowing compliments from Joe Mazzulla and Jaylen Brown for clutch 3
Payton Pritchard made only one shot in the game, but it was critical given the context of how things were trending. The Mavericks could've had significant momentum back, entering the fourth quarter with a six-point deficit, but Pritchard boldly letting a near halfcourt shot off ensured that wasn't the case.
Coach Joe Mazzulla credited Pritchard's "winning" play after the game, saying:
"Play of the game ... Payton's shot. You see at the end of the quarter. You see guys around the league pass up on that shot or fake like they want to take it so that their numbers don't get messed up. He takes pride in taking that and that's winning basketball."
Role players with limited playing time and a good shooting percentage generally avoid taking shots that Pritchard took as it impacts their averages. However, Pritchard didn't fear that as much and took the shot, which proved critical.
Payton Pritchard's boldness wasn't just about him taking that shot but also checking himself into the game for that moment. Jaylen Brown shed light on the situation, saying:
"That was incredible. I heard he like, checked himself into the game, too. He's been hitting those shots all season long."
In some ways, Payton Pritchard's shot was a sacrificing move, but that's what the Celtics have been about all year, especially with their talent pool. They have five All-Star caliber players in their starting unit, well supported by a cast like Pritchard, Al Horford and Sam Hauser.
They have shown tremendous willingness to make some of these plays that won't necessarily reflect big-time on the box score but prove pivotal during the game.