Romeo Langford explains how his play and preparation during Summer League and training camp have helped improve his confidence heading into the regular season.
The Boston Celtics' season opener against the New York Knicks on Wednesday will feature the debut of "Masked PP."
Celtics point guard Payton Pritchard broke his nose in last Wednesday's preseason matchup with the Orlando Magic when he took a stray hand to the face late in the first half. Pritchard immediately flew home to Boston for treatment and missed the Celtics' preseason finale Friday against the Miami Heat.
Forsberg: Ime's tough love, Romeo's breakout among preseason lessons
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Boston sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
Apparently that treatment went well. Pritchard said Sunday he's getting outfitted for a mask and will be able to play Wednesday in New York.
In case you're wondering how the nose looks, Pritchard shared a photo to his Instagram story Saturday night.
Pritchard's nose looks far from healed, so it's a testament to his toughness that he'll play through the injury while wearing a protective mask. He should provide valuable depth at point guard behind Marcus Smart and Dennis Schroder, who's dealing with a left knee injury but is expected to be ready for Game 1, as well.
Pritchard enjoyed a strong rookie season, averaging 7.7 points off the bench while shooting 41.1% from 3-point range. He'll look to provide that same second-half spark in Year 2 -- with a new look for at least the first few games.
