The Oregon native has been lighting it up from beyond the arc, and has become a plus defender on the other end of the court.

As of Monday, most prominent sportsbooks had Pritchard pegged as the NBA Sixth Man of the Year favorite. DraftKings gave him the shortest award odds at +250, followed by Hield (+600) and Indiana’s Bennedict Mathurin (+600).

The Boston Celtics have enjoyed a 9-2 start to the season despite missing Kristaps Porzingis and having both Sam Hauser and Jaylen Brown sidelined for stretches. Joe Mazzulla's team continues to find ways to win. The offense evolves to take what the defense is giving them, and there have been some impressive feats of resilience on show.

Pritchard has become known for his end of quarter heaves, including the signature shot from beyond halfcourt he sunk against the Dallas Mavericks in Game 5 of the NBA Finals. Pritchard nailed another buzzer-beating shot Monday in the closing second of the third quarter against the Bucks to help Boston take control of the game.

Regardless of how disheveled the Bucks looked in their previous two games, stunning losses to the Bulls and Nets, they were going to offer major resistance to the Celtics. They’re too prideful not to, despite being on the back end of their significance in the Eastern Conference, and despite missing mainstay Khris Middleton.

Oregon Ducks fans should be paying close attention to Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard this season, following his first NBA championship. A major growth a

Payton Pritchard’s ability to make buzzer-beating 3-pointers and his play early in the NBA season has elevated his star status. He has become one of the most popular players on the Boston Celtics.