After a rough night in Minnesota, Payton Pritchard didn’t just bounce back-he erupted. Less than 24 hours after a forgettable outing, the Celtics guard turned in one of his most explosive performances of the season, pouring in 42 points on 15-of-22 shooting, including six triples, to lead Boston past the Cavaliers in Cleveland.
It wasn’t just the stat line that stood out-it was the timing. Pritchard, still navigating foul trouble for much of the night, set the tone early with a three-pointer just nine seconds into the game.
That first bucket was a statement: he wasn’t going to let Saturday’s performance linger. He closed the door on Cleveland’s comeback bid with 15 points in the fourth quarter and a pair of clutch free throws that sealed a 117-115 win.
“I just wanted to come out tonight after a disappointing night before and kind of redeem myself and help the team win,” Pritchard said postgame. “Hopefully I can continue this and catch a rhythm. I’m not saying every night’s going to be scoring, but be efficient and help the team win.”
That mindset-reset, refocus, respond-was clear in how he approached the game. Before tipoff, Pritchard opened up about the mental side of bouncing back.
“I’m a competitor,” he said. “Sitting in my room last night and this morning, you can either fold and give into it.
But for me, today I’m going to come out and give everything I’ve got and not second guess anything. I’m going to treat it like it’s a summer day in the gym, just me.”
That mentality translated into one of the most confident, free-flowing performances we’ve seen from him this season. And in a game where Boston needed a spark, Pritchard delivered in a big way.
Injury Management and Depth on Display
With the Celtics navigating a busy stretch-four games in six days-head coach Joe Mazzulla opted to rest Derrick White and Neemias Queta. White is nursing a right calf contusion, while Queta is dealing with a sprained left ankle. Given the schedule, Mazzulla hinted that more rotation players could see rest in the coming days, emphasizing the importance of depth and preparation.
“I think that’s where we talk about playing everybody comes into play,” Mazzulla said. “Just relying on the depth of those, especially the young guys.
Everyone has to come into the game ready to impact. That’s the case now, and it’ll be the case over the next week or so-and really throughout the season.
We’re trying to make that a strength of ours.”
That depth was on full display Sunday night. With Queta sidelined, Xavier Tillman stepped into the starting lineup and made the most of the opportunity.
In his first start of the season-and just his second appearance in the last 12 games-Tillman chipped in nine points, six boards, three steals, and a block. It was the kind of gritty, all-around performance that doesn’t always show up in highlight reels but makes a big difference in the trenches.
“X is the ultimate professional,” Mazzulla said. “Whether he plays every game or he misses 10 games, I have a level of trust that he’s going to go out there and execute exactly what we want.
That’s really hard to do in this league. You can’t take a guy like that for granted.
He works. He’s always ready.”
Jaylen Brown’s Frustration at the Line
One subplot that continues to simmer: Jaylen Brown’s frustration with the whistle. Despite ranking eighth in the league in scoring at 28.8 points per game heading into Sunday, Brown was only 27th in free throw rate, averaging 6.3 attempts per night. It’s a notable gap for a player who attacks the rim with regularity and physicality.
Mazzulla acknowledged Brown’s concerns but said he doesn’t plan to send tape to the league for review. While that might not change the officiating overnight, it does speak to the trust between coach and player-and the understanding that Brown’s aggressiveness is a key engine for Boston’s offense.
Looking Ahead
With a packed week ahead, the Celtics are leaning into their depth and versatility. Sunday’s win was a reminder of what can happen when role players step up and stars stay locked in. Whether it’s Pritchard bouncing back in a big way, Tillman making the most of a rare start, or Brown continuing to carry the scoring load, this team is built to weather the grind of the season.
And if Pritchard’s performance is any indication, the Celtics have more than just top-tier talent-they’ve got resilience, too.