Why heat checks are a foreign concept for Celtics guard Payton Pritchard

· Yahoo Sports

BOSTON — When it comes to putting up tough shots, Boston Celtics point guard Payton Pritchard is fearless. But, that's not just because of his confident nature. It's more a product of the work he puts in away from the cameras and the time he invests in his own shot.

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On Monday night, the 2025 Sixth Man of the Year tortured the Chicago Bulls en route to a blowout 134-99 victory for the C's at TD Garden. He logged a game-high 28 points — with 19 of those coming in the third quarter — and shot a blistering 70 percent from 3-point land on 10 attempts. No matter what defensive look the Bulls showed Pritchard, he seemed undaunted beyond the arc. Even his heat checks, or prayers players throw up to see how hot they are, cashed.

"Tonight was (about) coming out with just an aggressive mindset and kind of playing free," Pritchard said at the podium following his big night.

To call Pritchard's late 3-pointers heat checks, though, would be a misunderstanding. According to Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla, his backup point guard can connect from anywhere on the court, so even his "bad" shots are good shots.

"I don't really consider those heat checks for him just because he's that good of an offensive player," Mazzulla praised. "That's who he is and that's what he does best."

The Celtics' most impressive stretch of the game arrived just before the final frame — and it was all courtesy of Pritchard. The Oregon native went on a personal 9-0 run that lasted under a minute and featured three triples, with the last one starting from nearly 30 feet out. The Bulls knew Pritchard was going to get the ball, yet they still appeared powerless.

"I work on those shots, so it doesn't really feel like a bad shot," Pritchard said of his supposed heat checks. "And, obviously it's not if it goes in."

Such a comment would feel cocky from other guys, however, Pritchard isn't off base. The 6-foot-1 benchwarmer is one of the hardest NBA players to cool down when he's on a heater.

"It just feels good to catch the rhythm again," he said.

In Boston's first two games of the season, Pritchard recorded a combined 21 points and shot under 40 percent around the perimeter. On Monday night alone, he surpassed both of those performances and will aim to carry that momentum into Tuesday evening when the 2-1 C's host the 0-3 Brooklyn Nets.

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This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Why heat checks are a foreign concept for Celtics guard Payton Pritchard

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