Pritchard drops great quote on Heat’s Erik Spoelstra tweet originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Payton Pritchard warns his opponents.
The Boston Celtics guard strengthened his early case for Sixth Man of the Year on Monday night with another strong performance off the bench, totaling 25 points, five rebounds, four assists, two steals and a block. power. a 108-89 victory against the Miami Heat.
Pritchard scored a handful of his points in isolation against Heat defenders, and after several of those buckets, he directed a few choice words and a scowl in the direction of Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra and the Heat bench.
“They can’t keep me,” Pritchard seemed to say after putting Heat rookie Pelle Larsson in a blender. He then appeared to shake his head at Spoelstra after nailing an easy step-back jumper over Tyler Herro.
Pritchard did not deny barking at Spoelstra and the Heat bench after the game. But don’t ask him exactly what he said, because he claims not to remember.
“I’m sure I said something,” Pritchard told reporters afterward. “But I sometimes faint in those moments.
“But obviously I have respect for them. They’re a good organization, they play hard as a team, so it’s nothing personal. It’s just about competitiveness at the end of the day.”
Pritchard has always been a fierce competitor and a hard worker. With that work comes a supreme level of confidence that has helped the 26-year-old guard elevate his game far beyond what fans and even opponents might have expected of him.
Concrete example: Pritchard just became the NBA’s No. 1 player this season to score 20+ points in four straight games off the bench, and the first Celtics player to do so since Isaiah Thomas in 2015.
Like Thomas, the diminutive Pritchard plays with an oversized chip on his shoulder and isn’t afraid to let opposing teams know they can’t guard him. This advantage has helped Pritchard become a legitimate threat who takes things personally every night, regardless of his opponent.
“Honestly, I look at it as a rivalry against every team,” Pritchard said when asked if he still considers Celtics-Heat a rivalry. “I get up to play every team. It doesn’t matter if they’re in last place. Miami is a good organization. They’re ready to play so-and-so and so are we.”
Pritchard will aim to keep his scoring streak going on Wednesday when the Celtics host the Detroit Pistons at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Boston.
