Kendrick Perkins Claims This Celtic ‘Put World On Notice’ In Bucks Matchup

The Celtics were cautious with their core players and limited their workloads in the last stretch of the regular season, and Payton Pritchard stepped up when given those extra minutes.

Jrue Holiday missed Boston’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks at TD Garden on Wednesday due to a right AC joint strain. The Celtics held off a fourth-quarter comeback thanks to critical plays from Jayson Tatum and Payton Pritchard, who scored 19 points in 31 minutes off the bench.

This season was critical for Pritchard after two years of trade rumours and documented grievances about a lack of playing time. This season, he earned his minutes and has established himself as a reliable member of Joe Mazzulla’s rotation, as viewed by a national audience.

“(Wednesday) night, Payton Pritchard put the world on notice,” Kendrick Perkins said on ESPN’s “NBA Today” on Thursday, according to Faith Pinnow of Boston.com. “This is a guy that was out of the rotation last postseason and without him, they don’t win that basketball game.”

Pritchard is averaging a career-high 8.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game after Wednesday’s victory. Sam Hauser told the league ahead of the season that the fourth-year guard was “out for blood,” and Celtics fans saw it night in and night out.

“What he provided from a tenacity viewpoint,” Perkins said, “was getting the audience pumped up while still getting buckets. Since arriving to Oregon, this young man has consistently received buckets. This is a positive sign for the Boston Celtics. “Without Jrue Holiday, this man comes in and scores 19 points off the bench.”

Mazzulla has maintained a tight rotation since Hauser went down with a left ankle strain, and he may continue to lean on Pritchard as other stars manage their injuries in preparation for the postseason.