Boston Celtics guard Peyton Pritchard continues to prove that he is one of the most underrated shotmakers in the NBA, as he sank a buzzer-beater before halftime against the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena on Sunday.
Jaylen Brown drove hard into the lane to take the last shot, but was met by multiple defenders. With the game clock expiring, he threw the ball to Pritchard, who beat Luka Doncic and buried it. stepback three-pointer Logo's pass gave the Celtics a nine-point lead at the break, 59–50.
Peyton Pritchard again 😱
Pritchard beat the buzzer beater in the second quarter to give the Celtics a two-point lead over the Lakers heading into halftime ☘️
- ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) 23 February 2026
Pritchard has a knack for making buzzer-beaters, so it's no surprise he hit it. Remember his two half-court heaves in the 2024 NBA Finals against the Dallas Mavericks? Doncic probably does.
Many thought Boston would abandon the season, as Jayson Tatum was out with an Achilles injury and roster changes. But with the leadership of Brown, Pritchard and Derrick White, the Celtics have been a surprising threat in the Eastern Conference.
The 28-year-old Pritchard, the reigning Sixth Man of the Year, has gotten even better with his scoring, entering his game against the Lakers with a career-best 17.4 points average. The extra resources he has received in Tatum's absence have increased his confidence in his game.
At the time of writing, the Celtics are leading the Lakers by double digits in the fourth quarter.
Pritchard had 19 points, including five three-pointers, four rebounds and six assists off the bench.
Boston is looking for its third consecutive win.
