ATLANTA — Payton Pritchard is sidelined for the first time this season as the Celtics face the Atlanta Hawks. So, in his place, Baylor Scheierman will start for the third time this year, alongside Derrick White in the backcourt.
Scheierman is averaging 2.7 points and 1.7 rebounds in 11.7 minutes this season. He’s appeared in 35 of the Celtics’ 40 games, and started two so far. He also started in Monday’s game against the Indiana Pacers, when Sam Hauser was sidelined with hamstring tightness.
Joe Mazzulla
has praised Scheierman for always being ready to impact winning when his (sometimes sporadic) opportunities come.
“He works really hard, so he’s always prepared,” Mazzulla said. “His confidence never wavers — whether he plays well or whether he makes a mistake, his confidence in his ability to impact winning is always there, and that helps a lot. And he can make an impact regardless of how many minutes he plays.”
Fellow backcourt mate Derrick White has echoed that sentiment.
“He’s been amazing,” White said. “He’s always ready. It’s tough; you never know how many minutes or if he’s gonna play, but he’s always ready. And when he comes in, he just does a lot of things for us, and I feel like it’s always a positive segment when he’s out there with us.
The full list of starters when the Celtics face the Hawks
- Derrick White
- Baylor Scheierman
- Sam Hauser
- Jaylen Brown
- Neemias Queta
Joe Mazzulla opted to keep Anfernee Simons on the bench despite his recent hot play; Simons is coming off a 39-point game against the Miami Heat on Friday night.
Alongside Payton Pritchard, Chris Boucher (lower back spasms) and Josh Minott (ankle sprain) are both out as well.
For the Hawks, CJ McCollum, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Vit Krejci, Jalen Johnson, and Onyeka Okongwu will start. Dyson Daniels, Kristaps Porziņģis, and Zaccharie Risacher are all out.
The Celtics (25-15) face the Hawks (20-23) at 7:30pm.
