When Jrue Holiday went down with a hamstring strain after Game 2, many questioned whether the Celtics could maintain their defensive dominance. But one player stepped up — and made sure Boston didn’t skip a beat.
Enter Payton Pritchard.
The Celtics’ backup point guard didn’t just fill a gap — he made a statement. Known for his offensive bursts, Pritchard proved his words from earlier this season weren’t just talk. “I want to be that guy,” he said, referring to becoming one of the team’s top defenders. And in a tough five-game series against the Orlando Magic, he walked the talk.
Orlando coach Jamahl Mosley even called him out — in a good way:
“It’s just been Payton Pritchard who’s stepped into that role now… He’s gonna change the game.”
And change it he did. Pritchard hounded Orlando’s stars Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, holding them to just 3-for-11 shooting on switches. By the end of the series, the Magic had stopped trying to target him altogether — a quiet but powerful acknowledgment of his defensive presence.
Offensively, it was a mixed bag. He opened the playoffs strong with 19 and 14 points in the first two games but was quieter in Games 3 and 4. Still, his relentless pressure and impact on defense kept him essential to the Celtics’ game plan.
“I just try to leave my impact on what I can control,” Pritchard said after the close-out Game 5 win. “Sometimes that’s not scoring — it’s effort, ball pressure, defense.”
Even Celtics veteran Al Horford agreed:
“Payton was key for us. His ball pressure and impact were noticeable.”
And in case you thought this was about replacing Jrue Holiday — it’s not.
“Jrue’s unbelievable,” Pritchard said. “I was just trying to play hard.”
Hard work, heart, and hustle. With the playoffs heating up and Holiday still day-to-day, the Celtics now know they’ve got a reliable force in Pritchard — not just off the bench, but as a game-changer.