Irked by the insult to his teammate, Payton Pritchard erupted for 10 points in the quarter, matching the entire Bucks output and helping the Celtics open a big lead before holding on for a 122-119 victory over Milwaukee on Wednesday night.
“It kind of lit a fire under me,” said the 6-foot-1 Pritchard, who had 19 points and six rebounds — most of it in the second quarter, when Boston turned a five-point lead into an 18-point cushion. “He’s trying to clown one of our teammates. So I definitely took it a little personally.”
Jayson Tatum scored 31 points for Boston, which took advantage of the absence of two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo to win its seventh straight game. The Celtics have not lost to an Eastern Conference team at home all season.