Payton Pritchard might not hit the court against the Charlotte Hornets tonight, and that’s a gut punch for a Celtics squad rolling at 6-2. The spark plug guard is listed as questionable due to a right eye abrasion, an injury that forced him out of Wednesday’s game against the Milwaukee Buckets in the third quarter. He was questionable to return then, and he never did. The team’s injury report on Thursday kept him at that same “questionable” status for tonight’s matchup.
Mazzulla’s Eye Injury Update Is Not Exactly Reassuring
When Coach Joe Mazzulla gave an update after the 109-102 victory over the Bucks, it sounded a bit… vague, for a guy who just got clocked in the eye. “He’s okay,” Mazzulla said of the 28-year-old. “I don’t know exactly what it is, but he got hit in the eye, hit in the head. Seems to be okay.” “Seems to be okay” isn’t exactly a green light, is it? Especially when you’re talking about an eye injury. You just know fans are going to be holding their breath until tip-off.
Pritchard’s Bench Production Is No Joke
Look, Pritchard is more than just a bench guy, he’s a key contributor, full stop. He’s putting up 13 points per game, which is the third most on the entire team, along with 3.6 assists and 2.4 rebounds. He’s done that coming off the bench in every single game this season. Mazzulla has been mixing up starting lineups like crazy this season,Mitchell Robinson started the first five, Neemias Queta the last three, Jordan Walsh the first five, Hugo Gonzalez the last three, and Sam Hauser and Baylor Scheierman each got a start. Meanwhile, Derrick White, Paul George, and Jayson Tatum are the only guys who’ve started every game they’ve been available for. Eleven players, including Luka Garza, are averaging double-digit minutes. Pritchard’s consistent production, especially from the second unit, is crucial in this kind of rotational chaos. Just Wednesday, before his eye injury, he shook off an unrelated right shoulder contusion to drop 10 points and 5 rebounds in just 18 minutes off the bench. That kind of grit and scoring punch is tough to replace.
Can the Celtics Keep Rolling Without Him?
The Celtics are sitting pretty at 6-2, coming off that hard-fought win over the Bucks where Paul George went off for 25 points and 4 steals, and Derrick White added 24 points and 7 assists. They’re facing the 3-6 Hornets tonight at 7 PM ET. Losing Pritchard, even for just one game, impacts the rotation and bench scoring depth. Will other guys step up and fill that void? It’s a test for the deep Celtics roster, and you know Mazzulla will be pushing everyone to prove they can hold down the fort. We’ll see if the team can maintain that early-season momentum, even with a key piece potentially sidelined.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Celtics Blog.
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