NBA FINALS: CELTICS VS. WARRIORS

June 4, 2022

Payton Pritchard

Boston Celtics

Practice Day

Q. How's it feel to be up 1-0 in this series?

PAYTON PRITCHARD: It feels good to get the first win, but it's a long series.

Q. How were you guys able to at least control Steph Curry after that first quarter, where he goes for 21? You limited him to just 13 points the rest of the way.

PAYTON PRITCHARD: I don't know if we can control him. What did he end up with, like 35?

Q. 34.

PAYTON PRITCHARD: So obviously he had a great game. For us it's going to take different ways to win each game. Obviously they're a great team. They're going to get hot sometimes. We've just got to find different ways to pull out these wins.

Q. What do you think you guys are going to improve on in Game 2? Ime said you didn't play your best game but you still found a way to win.

PAYTON PRITCHARD: Have a better third quarter. We’ve struggled in the third quarter all the time. Just find a way to come out of the half with some energy and go out in the third quarter and compete. I think we've got to hang our hat on the defensive side of things, and then offensively just take the right shots.

Q. When Ime got the job, how familiar were you with him as a basketball player?

PAYTON PRITCHARD: I'm from Portland.

Q. So you know?

PAYTON PRITCHARD: Yeah, and he's from Portland, and a lot of our staff is from Portland. I knew a lot of them growing up, and obviously being around him, Portland is a smaller community, so we all know each other.

Q. Obviously he kind of knocked on doors, started as a 10-day guy, worked his way into the league. How does that inform the way he coaches?

PAYTON PRITCHARD: I think he's a grinder. He's a hard nose, and our team has taken that persona on, especially on the defensive side of things. So we're going to go out there, and we're going to compete and leave it all on the floor. I think that's how he was as a player and is as a coach now.

Q. How can you guys improve on the third quarter play?

PAYTON PRITCHARD: I just think we've got to come out with energy. Obviously make things tough on them offensively, but just taking the right shots. I mean, we'll figure it out.

Q. Draymond said basically it was Derrick White and Al Horford, two guys not known for shooting threes, that got hot and tip your cap to them. What do you say to what he had to say in his podcast?

PAYTON PRITCHARD: I'm not really listening to all that. I don't think any of us are. We're all NBA players at the end of the day, so we're all capable of getting hot and making shots. I've seen those guys, D White and Al, put in the work, so I know what they're capable of.

Q. A couple of guys came out, I wouldn't say they were timid, but maybe the adrenaline was pretty high. This was everyone's first NBA Finals game.

PAYTON PRITCHARD: It was nerve-racking. It was nerves. This is the biggest stage in basketball, so there's definitely going to be nerves. I think, once we got up and down a bit, it calmed down.

Q. Does it feel more natural, like a normal routine now?

PAYTON PRITCHARD: A little bit, especially after the first game. People are settling in. It's the biggest stage, like I said. Everybody's going to have nerves.

Q. Speaking of Portland, I was at the Nike Hoop Summit a few weeks ago, and a lot of people were talking about your time at the Portland Generals. That was the first time that people outside of Portland saw what you were able to do. I was curious what you remember about that experience, playing on the USA Junior National Team with the Portland Generals and how that helped your career.

PAYTON PRITCHARD: It was unbelievable. I got to go against some the top high school prospects when I was younger at that time. I just looked forward to the challenge out there and tried to make a name for myself.

Q. Speaking of Portland, what's it like working with Aaron Miles?

PAYTON PRITCHARD: It's unbelievable. He's an incredible worker, intelligent for the game, unbelievable person. We're very fortunate to have him part of our team.

Q. I do some Santa Clara women's basketball as well. How's Lexie doing? I know she suffered a tough injury.

PAYTON PRITCHARD: She's doing really good. Her recovery is going really well. I think she's ready to jump back into things this year.