After a tough loss in Game 1 of the 2024 NBA Finals, Dallas Mavericks Boston was determined to perform better in Game 2 on Sunday night, and they were up to the task for much of the game. Dallas trailed by just three at halftime and held Jayson Tatum to just five points by halftime after going scoreless in the first quarter. With seconds left in the third quarter, Kyrie Irving made two free throws to cut Boston’s lead to six points and it looked like Dallas would carry the momentum into the final quarter.
Then, everything changed.
Backup guard Payton Pritchard banked a shot from 38 feet from the NBA Finals logo at TD Garden late in the third period.
In an instant, the TD Garden crowd was once again hooked on the game. Celtics Holding a nine-point lead going into the fourth, the Mavericks were wondering what they had to do to win in Boston after the shot ended Dallas’ 7-0 streak.
Praise for Pritchard was rife in the Celtics locker room after Boston’s 105-98 victory, with Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla calling it “the best play of the game.”
“I think the play in this game is one you can’t miss, and the thing that really humbled our team was the shot that Peyton made at the end of the quarter,” Mazzulla said. He spoke after Boston’s win.“Guys around the league are passing up shots or pretending they want to shoot so the numbers don’t go haywire. He takes pride in making shots, and that translates to winning basketball games, so that’s what matters most.”
Derrick White, who contributed to the win and made some big plays of his own, also joined in the praise.
“Payton Pritchard is that guy,” White added. “You see how we played at the end of the game, he’s not afraid of those moments. That was a big shot. It gave us momentum. I love Payton. I love competing against him. That was a big shot.”
“The energy that Peyton brings, the courage that he has to take that shot … it was definitely a confidence boost.” Added Jrue HolidayIt’s hard to ignore Celtics guard Holiday’s performance on Sunday night, as he led Boston in scoring with 26 points, including making 11 of 14 field goals.
Mazzulla noted that Pritchard’s shot was something Boston desperately needed at that point in the game.
“He has the humility and selflessness to not care if he fails,” Mazzulla said. Said“He’s worked on it and he understands what a shot like that does to the end of the quarter and how it impacts the team’s score. They were scoring at the end of the quarter, but I thought that shot gave them a little bit of poise and momentum they needed going into the fourth quarter. That was big.”
Game 3 sees the series move back to Dallas on Wednesday night to see what the Mavericks can do to stop Boston’s momentum.
