Pritchard finished with 21 points (6-13 FG, 6-12 3Pt, 3-4 FT), four rebounds and six assists across 25 minutes in Friday's 107-103 preseason win over the Nuggets.
There's no question Pritchard made the most of his opportunity in this preseason opener, carrying the Celtics in scoring and showing he's ready to handle a bigger role off the bench if called upon duty. Pritchard averaged a career-high 9.6 points per game in 2023-24 while making 38.5 percent of his threes over 82 regular-season games, so he should be a reliable weapon off the bench for Boston, though his fantasy upside will be minimal if he continues to play almost exclusively off the bench.
Celtics' Payton Pritchard: Drains clutch 3 in Game 5 win
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Pritchard posted three points (1-1 FG, 1-1 3Pt) in under one minute of playing time during Monday's 106-88 win over Dallas in Game 5 of the NBA Finals.
As he did periodically during the regular season and postseason, Pritchard once again drained a half-court end-of-quarter three just when the Celtics needed a boost. In Game 5, he heaved a half-court triple with under four seconds to help Boston take a 21-point lead into halftime. It was a lead the Celtics would never relinquish as Boston earned its 18th banner. Pritchard hit three triples over five 2024 NBA Finals games. He has three years remaining on his current contract, so expect more off-the-bench heroics moving forward.
Celtics' Payton Pritchard: Records eight points off bench
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Pritchard logged eight points (3-4 FG, 2-3 3Pt) and two assists over 23 minutes during Tuesday's 133-128 overtime win over the Pacers in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
The Celtics are using a very tight eight-man rotation right now, but Pritchard is pretty clearly the sixth man for the foreseeable future. He's been excellent through 11 playoff appearances, averaging 7.8 points, 2.5 assists and 2.3 rebounds while hitting 47.0 percent from the field and 44.7 percent from beyond the arc.
Celtics' Payton Pritchard: Leads bench again in Game 2
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Pritchard notched 13 points (6-10 FG, 1-4 3Pt), four assists, two rebounds and one steal over 20 minutes in Thursday's 118-94 loss to the Cavaliers in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
Pritchard once again provided a spark off the Celtics bench in Thursday's contest, leading all Boston bench players in scoring and assists while ending as one of five Celtics in double figures in scoring in a losing effort. Pritchard has had a strong conference semifinals series through two games, reaching double figures in both games while playing at least 20 minutes off the bench in both contests. It will be key for the Celtics to get contributions from Pritchard and the rest of the bench this series, and we will likely continue to see Pritchard earn a large chunk of minutes on the second unit.
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Celtics' Payton Pritchard: Returning to second unit
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Pritchard will come off the bench for Sunday's Game 1 against Miami.
After starting the final two regular-season contests, Pritchard will return to his typical bench role while Jrue Holiday and Derrick White anchor the backcourt. In addition to the aforementioned guards, Boston will roll with its fully healthy starting lineup Sunday, featuring Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Kristaps Porzingis.
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Celtics' Payton Pritchard: Flirts with triple-double
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Pritchard recorded 38 points (15-21 FG, 4-6 3Pt, 4-4 FT), nine rebounds and 12 assists across 44 minutes during Sunday's 132-122 victory over the Wizards.
Two days after scoring a career-high 31 points, Pritchard followed that up with a 38-12-9 line. He was one rebound shy of notching the first triple-double of his career, and he played a season-high 44 minutes with the Celtics resting all of their starters plus Al Horford (rest). Pritchard ends the regular season recording career highs across most statistical categories, and in April, he averaged 18.8 points on 55.9 percent shooting, 3.6 rebounds and 7.0 assists over 29.4 minutes per game.
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Celtics' Payton Pritchard: Career night versus Charlotte
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Pritchard notched 31 points (14-22 FG, 3-8 3Pt), three rebounds, 11 assists and one steal in 31 minutes during Friday's 131-98 victory over Charlotte.
Pritchard scored a career-high 31 points Friday and was the main guy for the Celtics with the team sitting all five of their starters plus Al Horford (toe). It was the third double-double of the season for Pritchard, and the fourth-year guard out of Oregon has played a key role off the bench for Boston this season. Pritchard is averaging 16.0 points on 52.2 percent shooting, 2.9 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 1.0 steals over 27.3 minutes per game in April.
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Celtics' Payton Pritchard: Draws start Friday
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Pritchard is starting Friday's game against the Hornets, John Karalis of BostonSportsJournal.com reports.
The Celtics are resting their entire usual group of starters Friday, so Pritchard will enter the starting lineup for the penultimate game of the regular season. Over three starts this year, he's averaged 18.0 points, 8.0 assists and 4.0 rebounds in 35.3 minutes per game.
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Celtics' Payton Pritchard: Boosts offensively off bench in win
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Pritchard finished with 20 points (9-13 FG, 2-4 3Pt), three rebounds, eight assists and one steal in 26 minutes during Sunday's 124-107 victory over the Trail Blazers.
Pritchard led all Celtics bench players in scoring and assists while ending two dimes shy of the double-digit mark to provide an offensive lift on the Boston second unit. Pritchard has handed out at least eight assists in seven games this season, adding 20 or more points in two of those outings. He has now surpassed the 20-point mark in nine appearances, including in two straight games.
Celtics' Payton Pritchard: Hands out eight dimes off bench
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Pritchard produced 11 points (4-10 FG, 1-4 3Pt, 2-2 FT), four rebounds, eight assists and two steals over 28 minutes during Wednesday's 135-100 victory over Oklahoma City.
Pritchard seemed to have cooled off in his last three games, but he delivered another quality showing here, taking advantage of the uptick in minutes and finishing just two assists away from a double-double. Despite coming off the bench, Pritchard has now scored in double digits in seven of his last 10 appearances, a span in which he's averaged 13.0 points, 6.1 assists and 3.4 rebounds per contest.
Pritchard accumulated 15 points (7-12 FG, 1-5 3Pt, 0-2 FT), five rebounds and six assists over 28 minutes during Monday's 120-118 loss to the Hawks.
Pritchard lead Boston with the six assists Monday, doing so without committing a turnover. Additionally, it's an encouraging sign to see Pritchard score efficiently on a night when his three-point shot was cold. The 26-year-old is averaging 18.4 points and 6.6 assists while making 3.4 triples in 33.8 minutes across his last five games, and he profiles as a strong option if Jrue Holiday (shoulder) and Derrick White (hand) continue missing time in the future.
