Payton Pritchard's Triple-Double vs. Hawks Inspires MJ Memes, More from Celtics Fans
Payton Pritchard recorded his first triple-double to help the depleted Boston Celtics finish out the season with a 120-114 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday at TD Garden.
Depth players led Boston to the team's 57th win, marking the most Celtics victories in one season since 2011.
Trae Young, Bogdan Bogdanović and Dejounte Murray were out for the Hawks, while the Celtics played without Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown or Marcus Smart.
As the Celtics bench suddenly turned into stars Sunday, Pritchard led with 30 points, adding 14 rebounds and 11 assists.
Career-best three-pointer totals from Pritchard (nine) and Sam Hauser (eight), in addition to four more from Mike Muscala, helped the Celtics come within two triples of tying Boston's franchise record of 27 in a single game.
Pritchard is now the second NBA player since James Harden to sink nine three-pointers while recording a triple-double. He also joins Larry Bird and John Havlicek as the third Celtic to record 30 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists in one game.
This performance did not only surprise the Hawks as the Celtics pulled away for good in the third quarter. It also shocked Celtics fans who have seen Pritchard make only three appearances on the court in the past month heading into this game.
Even moments after the regular season came to an end in Boston, some fans were already planning on how to leverage this performance this summer.
The Celtics will finish the regular season as the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference. Pritchard's performance Sunday could potentially earn him some postseason minutes when the Celtics face either the Hawks or the Miami Heat in Round 1.
