It was an ugly night for offense at TD Garden, but Payton Pritchard managed to help keep the Celtics offense afloat all night.
Pritchard led all scorers with 23 points, helping guide Boston to a 102-94 win over the Blazers. The performance makes him Monday’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](https://johnsewer.com/?utm_source=mlm&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=mlm_local_site_articlesponsor_celtics_playerofgame&utm_content=celtics).
Pritchard faced off against a pair of old teammates in Jrue Holiday and Robert Williams but got the best of the duo and Portland’s defense for much of the night. He did most of his damage from 3-point range where he knocked down 5-of-11 attempts from deep while also shooting 50 percent from the field (8-of-16). He also chipped in with five rebounds and three assists in the victory as Boston improved to 29-17 on the season with the victory.
The performance adds to a stellar month for Pritchard in January where he’s shooting 40 percent from 3-point range while averaging 16 points per game. That marks a strong bounceback from his December numbers from 3-point range (30 percent) and a promising sign for the guard who is shooting a career-low 34 percent from deep on the year.
The offense was needed from Pritchard on a night where Boston struggled mightily with shooting (42.9 percent as a team) and turnovers (17) against a feisty Blazers defense.
The Celtics and Pritchard will now continue their four-game homestand on Wednesday night when they host the Hawks at TD Garden.