Bucks' Doc Rivers praises unlikely Celtics player

During his postgame news conference, Milwaukee head coach Doc Rivers admitted that he had circled Pritchard's name on his scouting report heading into the game. The former Celtics coach noted how Pritchard can be a game-changer for Boston, especially when allowed to get hot on the perimeter.

“Payton Pritchard happened. Honestly, it’s so funny but it’s not. This morning I literally circled his name,” Rivers said. “It’s like this guy comes in and he’s a gamechanger. I don’t know if you remember last year, but we had a six point lead and he came in and changed the whole game. He did it again tonight. He got their three ball going.”

Milwaukee has now lost three of its first four games. It must find a way to start grinding out wins if it wants to prove its credentials as a championship contender. 

Pritchard's performance was undoubtedly a catalyst for the Celtics. He's a genuine bolt of energy off the bench and could potentially find himself in Sixth Man of the Year conversations if he keeps up his hot start to the season. 

Rivers knew what the Oregon Ducks product was capable of and how he could turn the tides in the Celtics' favor. Unfortunately, he quickly found out that Boston's biggest strength is the elite talent level within its top-eight rotation. Honing in on Pritchard would have meant leaving another All-Star-caliber player open. 

Now, Milwaukee returns to the drawing board as it looks to earn its second win of the season. The Indiana Pacers are up next for Boston, so maybe Rick Carlisle will have an idea of how to slow down Pritchard.