After missing six games with a knee injury, Payton Pritchard returned on Friday to help the Boston Celtics to a 119-115 win on the road over the Los Angeles Clippers.
Pritchard recorded eight points, two rebounds and two assists in 19 minutes off the bench. He finished by shooting 3-of-4 from the field, including 2-of-3 from 3-point range.
Celtics head coach Brad Stevens said after the game that he felt Pritchard was playing too passively and told him to start shooting it more. He listened, and then drilled a 3-pointer right in front of the Celtics’ bench, which Stevens appreciated.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jsLOLPoeqw
The 26th overall pick initially was diagnosed with a right MCL sprain versus the Philadelphia 76ers when teammate Jaylen Brown crashed into his right leg. He had to be helped off the court by the team medical staff and was unable to put any weight onto his leg following the play.
Pritchard made good progress in his recovery from the injury, and returned one day quicker than his initial two-week timetable issued by the team. He gave the Celtics good production off the bench and helped give the team a spark.
The Celtics have dealt with quite a few injuries and health and safety protocols this season and getting Pritchard back figures to be a huge boost moving forward.
This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
[lawrence-related id=25932,24810,24347]
[listicle id=27055]