On a night when the Boston Celtics needed a spark beyond their stars, it was two of their most unheralded role players who stepped up and delivered. Sam Hauser and Payton Pritchard, often known for their shooting, found other ways to impact the game in Boston’s 119-104 road win over the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday.
Let’s start with Hauser. The sharpshooter didn’t have his most efficient night from deep-he went 5-of-17 from three-but the volume and confidence mattered.
He kept firing, and more importantly, he filled in the gaps elsewhere. Hauser finished with 17 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists, and played strong team defense throughout the night.
For a guy whose NBA calling card has been perimeter shooting, this was one of his more complete performances.
Then there’s Pritchard. The box score shows 10 points, 5 rebounds, and 8 assists, but that doesn’t fully capture his impact.
His three-point shot wasn’t falling, but he dictated pace, especially in the first half, when Boston’s second unit helped swing the momentum. Pritchard’s energy, ball movement, and ability to push the tempo gave the Celtics a rhythm that carried over into the second half.
Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla took notice-not just of the stat lines, but of the subtler contributions.
“There’s not a direct correlation to plus-minus and playing well, but I do think they played well,” Mazzulla said postgame. “I just think those are always two guys that are not defined by shot-making.”
That’s high praise, especially considering both Hauser and Pritchard have recently been working through shooting slumps. But Mazzulla saw value in the way they impacted the game without relying on their usual scoring output.
He pointed to Pritchard’s role in the second unit, alongside players like Baylor Scheierman, Jordan Walsh, Neemias Queta, and Luka Garza. That group helped Boston control the pace offensively, with Pritchard leading the charge.
“I thought Payton did a good job in the first half of picking up the pace in that second unit,” Mazzulla said. “We kind of controlled the pace of the game offensively, and I thought Payton spearheaded that.”
In the second half, it was Derrick White who took over that role, but the theme was the same-Boston’s guards set the tone, not just with scoring, but with the little things: tempo, ball movement, and defensive effort.
“It’s not just the stats with them,” Mazzulla added. “They’re always doing the intangibles, and they always give us a chance to win.”
That’s the kind of depth and versatility that separates good teams from great ones. On a night when the Celtics didn’t need a 40-point explosion from Jayson Tatum or a takeover from Jaylen Brown, it was Hauser and Pritchard doing the dirty work, making winning plays, and showing why Boston’s bench might be one of the sneaky strengths of this team as the season rolls on.
These aren’t just role players anymore-they’re reliable contributors in a system that values effort, intelligence, and adaptability. And if they keep this up, the Celtics are going to be even tougher to beat come playoff time.