ESPN Identifies X-Factor For Celtics' 1st-Round Playoff Series

Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard

ESPN Identifies X-Factor For Celtics' 1st-Round Playoff Series originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Boston Celtics will begin an improbable championship pursuit when opening their postseason this Sunday. One important player could hold the key to avoiding an early upset.

ESPN's Dean Oliver identified Payton Pritchard as the Celtics player who can swing their first-round series. Even in a superlative year, the 28-year-old has endured some notable ebbs and flows.

"The Celtics are a machine that adapts to what the opponent does, but if there's a player whose performance can be volatile, it's Pritchard," Oliver wrote. "He has been among the 30 most inconsistent players this season, posting 23 good games and 17 bad ones (plus-37 average efforts)."

Pritchard elevated his game this season, registering career-highs in points (17.0), assists (5.2) and rebounds (3.9) per game. Whether as a starter or off the bench, he gave Boston a potent perimeter shooter who averaged the fourth-most minutes per game (32.4) behind Jaylen Brown, Derrick White and Jayson Tatum.

When Pritchard is percolating, good things follow. The sharp-shooter scored at least 25 points 16 times this season, and the Celtics won the last 15 of those games.

However, Boston is 7-8 when Pritchard settled for single-digit points. His inconsistency was on full display when starting March with a scoreless outing, only to deliver 25 points the next game before tallying zero points in the ensuing contest.

Pritchard hasn't taken Boston on the same roller coaster to end the season. He tallied double-digit points in each of his last 14 games, scoring 23 and 21 in last week's back-to-back set against the New York Knicks and Charlotte Hornets.

Although ESPN published the playoff preview piece on Monday, Oliver opined that the Celtics "can't afford a Pritchard stinker" if they play the Hornets. Charlotte is no longer an immediate concern, as Boston will face the winner of Tuesday's play-in matchup between the Philadelphia 76ers and Orlando Magic in the opening round.

Game 1 will start Sunday at 1 p.m. ET on ABC.

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