The Celtics embrace each other after their Game 5 victory over the Mavericks. (0:38)
Payton Pritchard made sure the Celtics had all of the momentum heading into halftime. The Boston guard hadn't played the entire half, but head coach Joe Mazzulla inserted Pritchard into the game with four seconds left in the second quarter.
Pritchard immediately made an impact by swishing a 49-foot 3-pointer, the longest made shot in the Finals in the past 25 years. The shot put the Celtics up 67-46 going into halftime. It was Pritchard's third buzzer-beating 3-pointer in the 2024 playoffs, the last one coming in Game 2 of the Finals to end the third quarter.
The deep 3-pointer prompted reaction from some of the sports world's biggest names.
PRITCHARD
Bro i hate this dude ????????????????????
pritchard legendary it's stamped????
Buzzer beating shots are really Pritchard's specialty that's crazy????
pritchard really be hitting that shot hahaha
The sports world chimed in on social media with reactions to the Celtics' dominant playoff run.
Another one in Boston ☘️
BANNER 18!!!!CONGRATS, @CELTICS ???? pic.twitter.com/bhRwaGhiYS
BANNER 18 ✅Congrats, @celtics!!! pic.twitter.com/0qlD3fZcTh
1️⃣8️⃣
Congrats @celtics !! Y'all def deserve it!
NBA CHAMPION JT ‼️???????????????? @jaytatum0 ????#DukeintheNBA ???? pic.twitter.com/EffpbhWb6p
JAYLEN BROWN, NBA CHAMPION! ????#GoBears x #NBAFinals pic.twitter.com/Xa9qVQG9sx
???????????? ????????????????????????????????, ????????????????????.???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? to @Jrue_Holiday11 of the Boston @Celtics on winning the 2024 NBA Finals‼️#NBABruins | #ChampionsMadeHere ???????? pic.twitter.com/S2a7lPqgsc
DERRICK WHITE. NBA CHAMPION. ????#GoBuffs | #NBAFinals pic.twitter.com/CAsbOuWU4x
Al Horford, NBA CHAMP ????Congrats to our guy @Al_Horford + the @celtics for getting that ring ????#GoGators pic.twitter.com/idaWNRdpMx
NBA CHAMPION ???? pic.twitter.com/jiNtO8xpxb
Payton Pritchard, NBA Champion. #GoDucks x @paytonpritch3 pic.twitter.com/HmZHJCjNdZ
