The Boston Celtics should have champagne on ice in case they complete an Eastern Conference Finals sweep over the Indiana Pacers on Monday night. Payton Pritchard may need some of that ice for his face.
Pritchard endured a painful moment during Game 4’s opening half when getting kicked in the face.
Pacers forward Isaiah Jackson jumped on a Pritchett pump-fake in the paint. As Jackson reached his arm behind to defend Pritchett, he also lifted his right leg right into Pritchard.
Here’s a look at the unfortunate blow, courtesy of ESPN:
Payton Pritchard got kicked in the face đł pic.twitter.com/QHLatbscWR
â NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) May 28, 2024
Referees deemed the contact unintentional when calling a common foul on Jackson. Regardless of his intent, some Celtics fans certainly believe the play warranted a flagrant foul.
“Jackson kicked Pritchard in the face â ‘oh it was inadvertent.’ Arenât most flagrant fouls inadvertent? Maybe by 2030 we can figure out what a flagrant foul is,” The Ringer founder and Boston fan Bill Simmons vented on social media.
The kick left Pritchard’s face red, but he stayed in the game to make both free throws. The 26-year-old has scored five points in six minutes off Boston’s bench.
Pritchard played a pivotal role in the second round, averaging 11.2 points per game while making 12 of 24 three-pointers in a five-game series against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The former first-round pick scored 22 points in Boston’s first three wins over Indiana.
The Celtics are one win away from making their 23rd trip to the NBA Finals. They’re up 58-57 over the Pacers at halftime.Â