Payton Pritchard discusses sharing word with Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra during the game, and whether or not he considers Miami to still be one of the Celtics’ main rivals.
Payton Pritchard is putting his opponents on notice.
The Boston Celtics guard strengthened his early case for Sixth Man of the Year on Monday night with another strong showing off the bench, tallying 25 points, five rebounds, four assists, two steals and a block to power a 108-89 win over the Miami Heat.
Pritchard scored a handful of his points in isolation against Heat defenders, and after several of those buckets, he directed some choice words and a scowl in the direction of Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra and the Heat bench.
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"They can't guard me," Pritchard appeared to say after putting Heat rookie Pelle Larsson in a blender. He then seemed to shake his head at Spoelstra after hitting an easy stepback jumper over Tyler Herro.
Pritchard didn't deny barking at Spoelstra and the Heat bench after the game. But don't ask him what exactly he said, because he claims he doesn't remember.
"I’m sure I said something,” Pritchard told reporters afterward. “But I kind of black out in those moments sometimes.
"But obviously I have respect for them. They’re a good organization, they play hard as a team, so it’s nothing personal. It’s just competitiveness at the end of the day."
Pritchard has always been a fierce competitor and a relentless worker. With that work comes a supreme level of confidence that has helped the 26-year-old guard elevate his game well beyond what fans and even opponents may have expected of him.
Case in point: Pritchard just became the first player in the NBA this season to score 20-plus points in four straight games off the bench, and the first Celtics player to do so since Isaiah Thomas in 2015.
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Like Thomas, the undersized Pritchard plays with an outsized chip on his shoulder and isn't afraid to let opposing teams know that they can't guard him. That edge has helped Pritchard develop into a legitimate scoring threat who takes things personally every night, regardless of opponent.
"Honestly, I take it as rivalry against every team," Pritchard said when asked if he still views Celtics-Heat as a rivalry. "I get up to play every team there is. It doesn't matter if they're in last place. Miami is a good organization. They come ready to play so and so do we."
Pritchard will aim to keep his scoring streak alive Wednesday when the Celtics host the Detroit Pistons at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Boston.
