Payton Pritchard has an idea of how Celtics can bounce back against Magic

ORLANDO — Payton Pritchard is fresh off a career season in which he averaged 14.3 points per game on 47.2% shooting. In the Celtics’ first two games against the Magic, Pritchard was impactful offensively, posting 19 points in Game 1 and 14 points in Game 2.

But, in Game 3, Pritchard was shut out offensively. He was limited to just 3 points, his sole basket coming off a putback layup in the fourth quarter.

“They’re denying off-ball,” Pritchard said. “They’re not allowing catch and shoots. They’re not allowing quick swings. But, there are different ways I need to get open, or create openings for my teammates.”

Pritchard knows he doesn’t always need to be one of the team’s leading scorers. He had 24 games this season with 20+ points, but he’s also had 29 games with fewer than 10 points.

With so many offensive weapons, the Celtics can typically withstand quieter offensive nights from their Sixth Man of the Year. But, with Jrue Holiday once again sidelined with a right hamstring strain, and against an elite Magic defense, their margin of error gets smaller.

“Sometimes in a game, the flow of the offense isn’t going through you and and that could be okay. Our team has a lot of depth, and it can go through a lot of people,” he said. “I still think there are times — maybe in transition and in the flow of the offense — I need to be a little bit more aggressive. That doesn’t mean just shooting; that means trying to attack or looking to create a shot.”

The Magic have been the NBA’s best team at limiting three-pointers all season. The Celtics averaged 17.8 made threes this past season. But so far in three games against the Magic, they’re averaging just 12.3 threes per game.

Pushing the pace will be key to generating more attempts, Pritchard said.

“If you get into a halfcourt, they’re very big, they’re long, they’re good in half court,” he said. “So I feel like even on makes, we’ve got to get it out quick and push the pace. Obviously, that’s how I like to play. But I think the majority of our team is very efficient when we get it down the court [fast] rather than walking it up.”

Getting Kristaps Porzingis going against the Magic will be key

Another key to unlocking the Celtics’ offense will be getting Kristaps Porzingis going. Through three games this postseason, Porzingis is averaging 10.7 points per game on 28.1% shooting. That’s a significant drop from his regular-season numbers; the big man averaged 19.2 points per game on 48.3% shooting in the regular season.

Porzingis was hard on himself after his Game 3 performance, in which he had 7 points on 3-10 shooting, 6 rebounds, 4 fouls, and 2 turnovers.

“It stings, man,” he said in the locker room after the loss. “I have to take accountability. I played like shit.”

Pritchard noted the importance of getting Porzingis going ahead of Game 4 — and explained how his play will have a ripple effect for others.

“It’s huge,” he said. “He can dominate the paint. We get him going, get him some easy looks, that changes the flow of the game. If we can get him to bring two onto the ball, that will also allow some of our shooters to get easier looks. A lot of that comes off the pick-and-rolls, him sealing. He’s always a mismatch.

Al Horford, who shared the frontcourt with Porzingis in Game 3, is confident he can get back on track: “Kristaps, he’s a great competitor. I know he’ll respond.”

The Celtics are 19-2 coming off of a loss this season

No bounceback game will be as important as tonight’s; a win gives the Celtics a commanding 3-1 series lead, while a loss sends them back home with the first round all tied up.

“We have a competitive group, ultimately, and we go back and we see things that we need to do,” Horford said. “I feel like Joe does a good job addressing the things that we need to do, and getting us in the right positions and the right mindset. So I feel like Joe and the coaching staff always do a good job of just getting us ready for the next challenge. That’s what we’ll do tonight.”