NBA EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: CELTICS VS. HEAT

May 17, 2022

Payton Pritchard

Boston Celtics

Game 1: Postgame

Heat 118, Celtics 107

Q. Payton, they went 39-14 in the third quarter and they opened up obviously a lot more aggressive defensively. Just from your perspective what did it look like happened?

PAYTON PRITCHARD: We tend to have slow starts in the third quarter through these playoffs, and I think it's just something we've got to really focus in on and try to control that. Other than the third quarter, I think we won every other quarter. Obviously, we try not to let that happen next time.

Q. Obviously Jimmy is a tough matchup for you guys, got to the line a bunch. What do you have to do to try to prevent him from being able to draw those fouls and getting in the paint which he's obviously very good at?

PAYTON PRITCHARD: Just not giving him easy free throws. We bailed him out a couple times, jumped on his pump fakes. Just trying to limit those, make everything tough, make him hit tough shots over and over again.

Q. Marcus Smart gave you a speech after that third quarter; what was his message there to try to help you guys regroup?

PAYTON PRITCHARD: You know, just have heart. I think he was just telling us to compete, get after it. We were kind of playing soft there for a little bit, so that's pretty much it.

Q. You guys scored 42 points in the paint in the first half but only six in the second half. What changed about how Miami was guarding the interior in the second half?

PAYTON PRITCHARD: You know, I think it was kind of a -- we did that to ourselves. We've just got to take care of the ball, play how we play, and I think that will take care of it.

Q. When the Heat were really pressuring Tatum and Brown and turning them over, it looked like you guys were struggling to figure out who would play-make and how to space around it. Was that an issue and how did you work through it?

PAYTON PRITCHARD: It's not an issue. Players can make mistakes. We'll come back next game, be ready for it. We'll make adjustments and be ready to go.

Q. Payton, obviously a lot more minutes for you with Marcus out. How much did you want to inject energy in that first quarter when you came in?

PAYTON PRITCHARD: You know, I just really wanted to bring energy every time I stepped on the floor. We're in the Eastern Conference Finals, so you've got to give it all.

Q. You guys obviously come out of this game -- what did you learn from this game? You've also been very good at bouncing back in that next game. What do you think you have to do in the next game to come away with a victory?

PAYTON PRITCHARD: Just control the third quarter, play how we played. We lost one quarter, so I think we'll make little adjustments. But try to limit free throws and just do what we do.