The Celtics were down two starters and on the second night of a back-to-back. Despite all that, they still came away with the 117-115 win over the Cavaliers on Sunday in Cleveland. It was a stellar bounce-back performance after losing to the Timberwolves the day before.
Payton Pritchard started hot and remained hot, making Sunday’s “Name to Know” Player of the Game. The Name to Know Player of the Game is sponsored by John’s Sewer and Drain Cleaning, the Name to Know when your drains don’t flow.
Pritchard finished with a season-high 42 points on 15-for-22 shooting and 6-of-11 on 3-pointers. It was just one point off his career-high, when he scored 43 points against the Trail Blazers last season. Considering the Celtics were without Derrick White and Neemias Queta, it was a much-needed performance from Pritchard.
It was a forgettable night for Pritchard in the Wolves loss the day before. He put up just nine points on 4-for-14 shooting as shots just didn’t go down. But when Pritchard is on like he was Sunday, he’ll put the ball through the hoop consistently.
The Celtics held on Sunday despite the Cavaliers making a late comeback attempt. The Cavs missed their final shot of the night with 0.7 seconds left, which sealed the Boston victory. It was a clutch victory for the Celtics as they improved to 5-7 in those games.
Different guys stepped up Sunday besides Pritchard. Jordan Walsh had his first career double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds. Jaylen Brown had a triple-double with 19 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists. Anfernee Simons also had 18 points off the bench as he was hot in the second quarter.