The Boston Celtics will have their starting lineup intact for Monday night's matchup against the Detroit Pistons at TD Garden.
Payton Pritchard popped up on the hosts' injury report after morning shoot-around. After Monday's session at the Auerbach Center, reporters witnessed the reigning Sixth Man of the Year working on his craft.
Payton Pritchard, who’s shooting 69.4% within five feet of the basket, and is a crafty finisher around the rim, works on doing just that on the heels of shoot around before tonight’s Celtics-Pistons game. pic.twitter.com/X9vElCyfrO
— Bobby Krivitsky (@BobbyKrivitsky) December 15, 2025
However, it wasn't long after that Pritchard got listed as questionable for this battle against the team atop the Eastern Conference standings. Fortunately, after going through a pregame workout on the parquet, he got the green light to play.
Celtics and Pistons aim to produce another thriller
These two rivals from the '80s authored an epic contest that came down to the wire in their last meeting. Boston, also playing the role of the host that day, prevailed 117-114, a day before Thanksgiving.
While that game didn't represent Amari Williams's first appearance with the parent club, Derrick White appropriately dubbed it his "Welcome to the NBA" moment.
The rookie center stepped up in Neemias Queta's absence. He logged the most minutes of any of the Celtics' traditional options at the pivot. He battled with burgeoning star Jalen Duren down low, impressively holding his own.
"That was impressive from Amari, I'm not gonna lie. He hasn't been with us. A lot of pressure, high-profile game. To come in and make an impact, credit to him, but he did well for us," voiced Jaylen Brown after the win. "Amari has talent. He can pass the ball. He's a big guy. He knows the game. That was a big-time performance from him."
Williams is again with Boston as it readies for a rematch against Detroit. It would make sense for him to get another opportunity against the likes of Duren and Isaiah Stewart.
Having a reinforcement to patrol the pivot is nice. It also goes a long way to have the Celtics' starting lineup intact. They've landed on a first unit that is 10-3 in 13 tries. That has helped them ascend to third in the Eastern Conference. It has also led to Boston registering nine wins against teams with a .500 record or better. Interestingly enough, that's tied for the most in the NBA, matching Monday's opponent.
That reflects the two-way impact of a lineup featuring Pritchard, Derrick White, Jaylen Brown, Jordan Walsh, and Neemias Queta. The latter didn't get a crack at the Pistons in that victory a day before Thanksgiving. Monday night at TD Garden, he'll get his chance to join in the festivities.