The Boston Celtics are still waiting to learn whether Payton Pritchard will be available after a bruising night against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Boston listed Pritchard as questionable with a right eye abrasion for its Friday, Nov. 6, game at the Charlotte Hornets. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. Eastern.
The designation follows his third-quarter exit from Wednesday’s 109-102 victory. Pritchard had already played through an earlier bloody face before a later hit sent him to the locker room. He never returned.
Now the Celtics face the possibility of opening their next road trip without one of their main sources of offense off the bench.
What Happened to Payton Pritchard Against the Bucks?
Pritchard’s eye injury came after an earlier sequence that Boston’s own social media account highlighted.
“Bleeding from his face and still got the bucket,” the Celtics posted alongside a second-quarter scoring clip.
He continued playing, but another collision eventually ended his night.
According to Jake Seymour of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Bucks guard Ryan Rollins caught Pritchard in the head with his hand during the third quarter. Pritchard grabbed his forehead, continued downcourt and was subsequently substituted out.
DraftKings Network’s Stan Son noted that Jordan Walsh replaced him with 3:23 remaining in the third. Boston initially announced that Pritchard was questionable to return with a right eye abrasion.
Joe Mazzulla offered a cautiously encouraging assessment afterward.
“He’s OK,” Mazzulla said, via The Sports Hub. “We’ll check on him tomorrow.”
Thursday’s designation leaves his availability unresolved. It also identifies the eye as the current concern after Pritchard entered Wednesday questionable with a right shoulder contusion before being cleared to play.
How Pritchard’s Injury Affects Celtics vs. Hornets
Pritchard finished the Bucks game with 10 points, five assists and one rebound in 18 minutes, shooting 4-for-7 from the field and making both free throws, according to RotoWire.
That passing production is part of the equation for Boston. Losing him means replacing a ballhandler as well as a scorer, with RotoWire identifying Mike Conley and Baylor Scheierman as candidates for additional playing time if he sits.
Pritchard has also already shown how much scoring he can supply in this competition. He scored a season-high 30 points in Boston’s 125-111 NBA Cup victory over Chicago on Oct. 30. Friday’s matchup in Charlotte is another group-stage game.
The latest report offers a separate encouraging development: Jayson Tatum is absent from Boston’s injury list after resting against Milwaukee. Pritchard is the only Celtic listed with an injury; Devin Carter, Christopher Cenac Jr., Dillon Mitchell and Amari Williams are out for G League reasons.
That gives Boston a different outlook than Wednesday, when it finished without both Tatum and Pritchard. Whether Mazzulla gets his scoring guard back, too, remains the decision to watch before Friday’s tipoff.
Boston Celtics Make Payton Pritchard Injury Announcement Before Hornets Game