BSJ Game Report:Celtics 131, Hornets 98 - Pritchard's 31 leads C's reserves to blowout win

Everything you need to know about the Celtics win over the Hornets, with BSJ insight and analysis

IN A NUTSHELL

Payton Pritchard came out on fire, dropping 13 points and five assists in the opening quarter. A lot of those dimes went to Luke Kornet, who added 10 points in the first. Pritchard kept the roll going in the second, finishing the half with 23 points and nine assists as Boston’s lead grew to 26. The onslaught continued into the third as the lead touched 30 and it was easy going the rest of the way.

Box Score

HEADLINES

- Pritchard makes the most of the opportunity: This was never a surprise. This is a similar situation to the preseason games he dominated. He’s a legitimate NBA rotation player and it shows in games like this. He finished with a career-high 31 points on 14-22 shooting, 11 assists, and just two turnovers. 

- No three-game streaks: This win guarantees Boston will finish the season without having lost three in a row all year long. The last Celtics team to do that was the 2010-11 Celtics. 

- Playoff picture: The Orlando Magic lost to the Sixers, but the Indiana Pacers also lost, so while Philadelphia holds the head-to-head tiebreaker against Orlando, they do not hold the three-way tiebreaker. So there's an added layer of intrigue here that I didn’t anticipate. On to the final game of the season we go. And with all remaining games being played on Sunday, we’ll be scoreboard-watching while the Celtics and Wizards play. 

TURNING POINT

It was 34-32 Boston early in the second quarter when Boston whipped off a 19-6 run to get some separation. The lead never dropped below double digits after that, and it got as high as 35.

THINGS I LIKED

The bigs: Kornet and Neemias Queta scored 16 each and combined for seven offensive rebounds. They shot a combined 15-20, which is pretty easy when all the shots were basically putbacks and dunks. But more than that, they combined for eight assists, so they were very big parts of the offense. Queta was a big part of that second quarter run that broke the game open. 

Jordan Walsh: He hit his first NBA 3-pointers in this game. A nice moment for him. He works hard. I hope he sticks. 

A coaching opportunity: I loved seeing Jermaine Bucknor, a player-enhancement coach for the Celtics who usually spends games back in the locker room, get a chance to spend some time on the back of the bench for this game. 

“Yeah, him and Phil (Pressey) have a thankless job because they never get to be out there, and they are never focusing on our current game,” Joe Mazzulla said after the game. “They are always focusing on the opponents ahead. So they had the last two scouts of the season, and Jermaine did a great job presenting the team, and it was great to get him out there and be able to do something different. But him and Phil, we don’t get the process towards the scouts without those two guys, so that was cool.”

Bucknor is an incredibly hard worker and can be seen before games and at practices working up quite a sweat working out with players. He’s 6’7” and he moves so well that I was shocked to learn he’s 40 years old. And on top of that, he’s one of the most positive people I’ve met in the league. He’s a very easy guy to root for, so it was really great to see him on an NBA bench. 

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE

Sam Hauser’s shooting: I probably need to stop hyper-focusing on it, but it’s hard not to when he was very clearly frustrated with shots not going in. When he made one late in the game, he gave an exasperated “finally” shrug. So it’s cleary bugging him. Not that I’m worried. Maybe he’s getting all the misses out now. 

HIGHLIGHTS

TAKES KARALIS WILL PROBABLY REGRET LATER

- Pritchard has earned all the praise

Last year it was Derrick White, this year it’s Pritchard who is getting the Ironman award. Pritchard will play Sunday, making that all 82 this year. That's one hell of an accomplishment.

“The journey for me, last year, in my second year of times where I didn’t play at all and how frustrating that is and how much that hurt at times,” Pritchard said after the game. “But it just fueled me to keep working, and for this year to come and play 82 games and be a part of the best team in the NBA and try to do something special, it feels good.”

Pritchard has earned his minutes and his praise this year by having a seemingly endless motor. He’s as close to a perpetual motion machine as you’ll find in the league, but he’s grown from spot-up shooter who changes the energy to NBA rotation player. 

“Having a consistent role for an entire season is really beneficial, which I think this is the first time he’s had that where we know each and every night exactly what he’s playing, where he’s playing, and kind of what the potential is,” Mazzulla said. “And then any night it could be different. It could be shooting, it could be ball-handling, it could be defense, it could be rebounding, and then he really takes pride in game management End of quarters, start of quarters, scanning the floor, so it’s been really good to watch him play.”

Pritchard has a knack for getting to good spots to shoot and score. He’s not married to a particular shot profile. When guys say they take what the defense gives them, Pritchard means it. He’s willing to take a 30-foot 3-pointer and a 13-foot jumper. Whatever is open is fine with him. 

I’ve said it a bunch, but I’m impressed with how far he’s come. He really has become a very complete player.

- C’s still haven't lost three in a row, and that means something

I’ll take the cheapie win here to highlight the greater point. The Celtics went all season without going on a three-game losing streak, which is really amazing. For all the worry, this team has approached this season with an incredible level of professionalism. There were plenty of opportunities to let down or play down, and until they clinched the top seed, they mostly avoided all of those. 

If this was a team prone to that kind of stuff, they would have done it a lot more often this season, especially after building a big lead in the East. I think that's a big piece of evidence in the team's favor that the court of public opinion overlooks.

Next up: The Celtics play the Wizards at 1 p.m. on Sunday to wrap up the regular season.