Jaylen Brown explains how Payton Pritchard reached All-Star level in … — and more

LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Lakers planned for their Sunday afternoon meeting with the rival Boston Celtics to be a celebration of stars. From the courtside presence of A-listers — like former soccer star David Beckham and Grammy award-winning musician Lionel Richie — to the pregame honors bestowed upon legendary Lakers coach Pat Riley in the form of a new statue, Laker Land embraced its most famous inhabitants. Yet, someone a lot less famous stole the show.

Celtics point guard Payton Pritchard dominated at the Crypto.com Center, recording a game-high 30 points to go along with 8 assists in a 111-89 blowout win over the Lakers. While Celtics fans are well aware of what the reigning Sixth Man of the Year is capable of, Pritchard showed the rest of the world during the primetime contest by hitting a buzzer-beating triple before halftime and making defenders look foolish all game long.

Payton can't be contained and JT LOVES it ☘️☘️☘️ pic.twitter.com/p1dvAYiDB6

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) February 23, 2026

"I feel like I've been in a good stretch, maybe besides the Knicks game where I struggled to shoot a little bit," Pritchard said in the visiting locker room. "Besides that, I've been in a good stretch of making the right reads."

That's putting it lightly.

Since moving to the bench on Feb. 3, Pritchard has scored 20 points or more six times (in seven games). Sunday marked his third straight outing with 25 or more points off the pine and his first 30-ball in a month.

While some players would have their momentum disrupted by a sudden role adjustment, Pritchard has thrived. His ability to accept change and strive to improve, no matter the circumstances, hasn't gone unnoticed.

"It just shows his humility," Celtics star Jaylen Brown said in the locker room. "Payton has caught fire the second part of the season. I think he's really figured it out. So we continue to roll with that, trust that, let him run things because his level of play has raised."

After averaging under 15 points per game in October and missing on 38 of his 46 attempts from 3-point land to start the season, Pritchard has averaged over 20 points per game in February on 50% shooting from the field and about 42% shooting from deep. The Celtics have gone 7-1 in that span and are 37-19 overall following their season sweep of the Lakers.

There are plenty of factors that go into the Celtics' winning ways of late, but Pritchard's play is one of the most apparent, especially after what he accomplished on Sunday on one of the biggest stages in basketball.

"I think he's really kind of figured it out, how to get to his spots...and he's seeing the game well," Brown praised. "Payton has been playing at an All-Star level, and I'm happy to see it. Nobody (is) happier to see it than me. So, you find ways throughout the game to trust him and allow him to run the show."

Pritchard isn't satisfied, though. The 28-year-old refuses to give into complacency and is confident that he hasn't reached his full potential yet.

"I still feel like I'm still evolving, (there’s) another step I can get to," he stated. "So just going to keep working, and I'm going to get to it."

The Celtics have to be giddy at the possibility that there's more to come from Pritchard, as he looked unstoppable at times against the Lakers while shooting over taller defenders and even making Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt fall to the floor.

Payton Pritchard hit a logo 3 and an ankle-breaking 3 in a span of less than 3 minutes pic.twitter.com/DoKJ9sZY8T

— Taylor Snow (@taylorcsnow) February 23, 2026

So, what can the Celtics do to ensure Pritchard continues to flourish?

When he has that killer instinct about him like he did on Sunday, Brown has a simple solution:

"Just get the hell out the way," he said with a smile.

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This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Jaylen Brown is impressed, but not surprised, by Payton Pritchard's recent hot streak

Manchester United loanee Rasmus Hojlund has had a relatively successful loan spell in Italy this season.

United career

The Dane struggled massively in a red shirt, scoring just 26 goals in 95 appearances for the Red Devils.

He joined the club in 2023 from Atalanta, but with the signing of Benjamin Sesko in the summer, it was decided he would be loaned out.

Hojlund has found a decent level of form in Italy for SSC Napoli, scoring 12 goals in all competitions for the Southern Italians.

He was poor at the weekend, however, as I Partenopei fell to a 1-2 defeat to Atalanta BC.

Thoughts on Naples

Hojlund gave an interview to Italian paper Il Mattino and is clearly happy with his choice to move to Italy.

Commenting on life in the Southern Italian city, he said, “I’m not in the centre, but I’m dying to explore the alleys and heart of Naples, but I know it won’t be easy to get around. I sense the incredible energy the city exudes.”

He continued, “I can feel it every moment – its vitality and personality are everywhere, not just at Maradona when we play. It’s an underestimated city, not even a little dangerous, despite so many rumours from afar.”

Streaky form

Much like the forward’s time at Old Trafford, his goals have come in clusters rather than being evenly spread out.

When discussing this, the 23-year-old stated, “I’m like ketchup. When the sauce doesn’t come out, you’re there, struggling to get it out, then suddenly it all comes out at once. It’s the same when you don’t score for a long time. It’s an incredible joy to score, but when the team and the coach believe in you, the goal is like a flower that has to bloom, it’s just a matter of time.”

Antonio Conte effect

Hojlund also had kind words for his current boss, Antonio Conte, and hinted that he now has a manager capable of getting the best out of him.

He claimed, “when I was in Bergamo, I was impatient; I wanted to get everything done quickly. I pressed constantly, as if I didn’t have a second chance. Now I manage my energy better; Conte guides me consistently. I always press hard because that’s what the coach asks of me, but I try to conserve my energy so I can use it at the right time.”

Finally, Hojlund claimed that his side’s Super Cup win at the turn of the year demonstrated that he made the right choice to go to Napoli in the summer.

Rasmus Hojlund stats vs Atalanta

Source: SofascoreFeatured image Marco M. Mantovani via Getty Images

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Claressa Shields defends her undisputed heavyweight crown by beating fellow American Franchon Crews-Dezurn by unanimous points decision in Detroit.

Nico O’Reilly had been presented with the prize by the side of the pitch before Pep Guardiola announced who he felt was a more deserving recipient. “Erling was for me the man of the match,” he said. Normally when Erling Haaland gets the individual honours, it is a reflection of extraterrestrial goalscoring exploits.

Not on this occasion. There are days when the numbers surrounding Haaland are low and high; his number of touches and goals respectively. As Newcastle were defeated at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday, perhaps it was the other way around. For the eighth time in 11 games, he did not find the net. Yet he has never been more involved.

He had 43 touches, his most ever in a Premier League match. Haaland’s height and look makes him conspicuous even when he is not on the ball, but he had a ubiquity. The eye was drawn to his battle with Dan Burn, the Etihad looking the land of the giants. Haaland made O’Reilly’s second goal with the kind of ball he would appreciate himself – “I want that someone crosses to him,” said Guardiola – and kept on repelling Newcastle attacks.

Haaland made three clearances; only Rodri and Marc Guehi made more for City. Indeed, only twice in his Premier League career has the Norwegian had more in a match. It was one of those days when, not content with being City’s best attacker, he can look their finest defender. It prompted Guehi to remark that he doesn’t want Haaland to reinvent himself as a centre-back. "I think he should stay up front, for sure," said the January signing. "I don't want him to take my place."

But Haaland is a magnetic presence in the penalty box, heading balls away. Newcastle supporters may have had flashbacks: for years Alan Shearer, in between becoming their record scorer, assumed the duties on the near post at corners.

“I'm not a big fan to put Erling to defend,” said Guardiola. “But he helped us, and I know after, how the people hug him and celebrate him and say they're grateful for helping us. He's an incredible, generous player, so today is a performance and I'll never forget what Erling has done for us.”

Guardiola’s description of Haaland as generous was instructive. The theory is that strikers have to be selfish; the more goals they get, perhaps the more selfish they are. And 2026 has been an unusually barren spell for Haaland, but it has been a time when he has shown a sense of greater responsibility. He is part of City’s leadership group, one of those who organised the refund for supporters who paid for tickets for the dismal defeat to Bodo/Glimt.

With his nine-and-a-half year contract, he has a greater commitment. In turn, that may be making him more of a team player. He is not just a scorer. Guardiola was surprised to be informed that Haaland ranks second in the Premier League for assists, albeit some way behind the runaway leader, Bruno Fernandes.

“So the numbers are unbelievable,” said Guardiola and, once again, he was not talking about Haaland’s goal return. He has seven assists for the top-flight season, only one behind his personal best, in 2022-23. He has got more creative of late. Three have come in his last five games, all in different fashion. There was a pass for Rayan Cherki’s solo goal against Tottenham, a header down for Bernardo Silva’s predatory finish at Liverpool, now the cross for O’Reilly.

That may be a consequence of Guardiola’s shifting tactics. As he has adopted a 4-2-2-2 formation, Haaland has been given a slightly wider brief, one of split strikers. He used to operate almost exclusively within the width of the penalty box. A glimpse at his touch map on Saturday showed 10 of them were to the right of the boxes.

Perhaps, as City have less control and play a more transitional style of football, forwards will have more touches and midfielders fewer; there was an old-style feel to the Newcastle game, more direct football, more swift breaks, more of a constant contest between Haaland and Burn.

Perhaps it helped Haaland that he was arguably fresher than at any stage of the campaign. Having sat out the FA Cup win over Salford, he had not played for 10 days. But it is notable, too, that Guardiola did not substitute him as he looked to hold on: Antoine Semenyo and Omar Marmoush came off but Haaland’s height meant he was indispensable for defending set-pieces.

“His work ethic is amazing. He was flying for every single ball against Dan [Burn],” said Guehi. “It's not easy.” And Guardiola was thankful. He singled out Haaland for praise in a speech in the dressing room. “Sometimes I'm a critic of him,” the City manager added. “But today I said, ‘guy, without you it would not be possible.’”

There have been times in the past when you are playing Arsenal that Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard are the two players you know you need to stop.

If they could condense play in their areas, teams would think they could control them - and if it goes over to another part of the pitch, they can cope with it.

On Sunday, however, it felt like Arsenal were coming from every angle in the end. Eberechi Eze, especially, was getting on the ball in these pockets of space in front of the Tottenham defence.

That helped Viktor Gyokeres too, because it meant there was more room for him.

Gyokeres had started well anyway, and had a great early chance which he made himself.

It probably helped that he had a yard of pace on Radu Dragusin, who is not the quickest defender, but he played on him nicely and it was clever of him to stay on the left side.

I remember watching a lot of Gyokeres' goals for Sporting and he liked to come off that flank a lot, and we have not seen him do it enough this season.

That might change now and, when he got his first goal, it was like the weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

Some of the Arsenal fans who are not convinced by him are going to be more on his side now he has scored twice against Spurs, and his goals were top quality too.

I'd say that was one of his best games in an Arsenal shirt and to do it in a north London derby will do him the world of good.

Read more of Murphy's analysis here