Svi Mykhailiuk ties career-high of 26 points in Celtics win over Wizards

Through 41 DNPs — and a whole bunch of games appearing only in blowouts – Svi Mykhailiuk stayed ready.

Then, in Game 82, he got the chance for an extended run, and capitalized on the opportunity, finishing the afternoon with 26 points (on 10-13 shooting), 5 rebounds, and 4 assists. The 26 points tied a career-high, set last April, and was his most efficient offensive performance in his six NBA seasons.

Mykhailiuk, who has played for eight NBA teams in the league, knew when he signed in Boston that minutes could be hard to come by.

“When we asked Svi to come here, one of the things I told him was, ‘it’s going to be inconsistent at times, but because of how we play, we’re going to rely on you guys to win us games, so the things you do daily are important,’ and he bought into that,” Joe Mazzulla said after Mykhailiuk’s big night.

Mykhailiuk has played double-digit minutes 16 times this season, and prior to the Wizards game, he hadn’t scored in double-figures since joining the Celtics.

But you wouldn’t be able to tell from the way he works. He’s oftentimes the first Celtic on the court, working with assistant coaches on his off-the-dribble three-pointer and diversifying his offensive portfolio. He’s bought into his somewhat inconsistent role from the very beginning, understanding that a championship is the ultimate goal, and that he’ll do what it takes to contribute.

​​”You got to understand – we have really good players, I could say 5 [or] 6 All-Stars,” Mykhailiuk told reporters after the game, per CLNS Media. “You gotta understand the bigger goal and see a bigger picture and come with that mindset, and come here and work, and mentally just be prepared for whatever.”

Payton Pritchard has carved out a consistent role this year, but on Friday night, reflected on how difficult it can be to play spot minutes, as he has in the past.

“For any player, when you’re getting spot minutes, it’s tough – you don’t know when it’s going to come,” Pritchard said. “When you do get the minutes – what is your role out there? What are you being put out there for?”

This season, Mykhailiuk’s been in that role, but when the spot minutes have arrived, he’s been ready, hitting 38.9% on threes. In his last 25 games, that number has increased to 47.4% from downtown.

Mykhailiuk said he and the other players who don’t always get run were excited by the prospect of larger minutes in the closing games of the season. His 12 first-quarter points already passed his previous season high of nine points, and he finished he shot 6-8 from three.

“Everybody came prepared, everybody was excited to get on the court, get some playing time,” Mykhailiuk said. “Everybody wanted to win, finish the regular season right, and start preparing for playoffs.”

Mazzulla credited Mykhailiuk for playing a major role in several wins this season.

“Svi’s an NBA player, he’s done a lot of great things for us, and I love his work ethic on a daily basis,” Mazzulla said. “He helped us win games this year. That’s important.”

For Mykhailiuk, staying ready despite a fluctuating role has been a no-brainer.

“You always got to be prepared for whatever happens,” he said. “Understanding that we are one of the best teams in the league, and we have really big goals… for me, personally, to help the team win, I just got to always be prepared.”