And so far, his maniacal defense has helped Boston win games, and his up-and-down offensive nights provide an additional boost when hitting. Teammate Payton Pritchard has taken note of the growth of the Arkansas alum,

Down in the dumps” after his worst game of the season, Payton Pritchard hit the barber’s chair and then broke out of his slump in a lopsided Celtics win.

Jordan Walsh has played the best basketball of his career in the past week, leading to him getting his first start of the season.

And players like Neemias Queta, Derrick White and Payton Pritchard have had to step into larger roles than they are used to, all of which has combined to spark a lot more losses than Boston fans are used to in recent years and some pretty egregious shooting slumps.

BOSTON — Payton Pritchard admitted he was “disappointed” in his past two games. Even those close to him wondered what was up as he put together uncharacteristic performances. There was too much second-guessing and deliberation for a guy who often talks about his endless confidence.

Memphis star Ja Morant sat out the Grizzlies’ 131-95 loss to the Boston Celtics on Wednesday night because of a right ankle injury

Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant won't play in the Nov. 12 matchup against the Boston Celtics due to right ankle soreness. This will be Morant's second missed game of the season. The first was Nov. 2,