Celtics' Payton Pritchard: Busts out of slump in win
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Pritchard had 22 points (7-11 FG, 5-8 3Pt, 3-4 FT), six rebounds, three assists and two steals in 33 minutes during Saturday's 115-113 win over the Nets.
After shooting just 28.9 percent from the floor over his past four games, Pritchard broke out of his slump Saturday and stepped up for a short-handed Celtics team that was without Derrick White (knee). Jaylen Brown also went down with back spasms during this one, so Pritchard could be in line for an expanded role if the former cannot suit up for Tuesday's meeting with the Nets. Over his last eight games, Pritchard has averaged 15.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.1 steals and 3.8 three-pointers in 29.3 minutes while shooting 44.8 percent from deep.
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Celtics' Payton Pritchard: Shines off bench Thursday
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Pritchard finished with 19 points (6-13 FG, 4-8 3Pt, 3-3 FT), four rebounds, six assists and two steals in 32 minutes during Thursday's 123-105 victory over the 76ers.
Pritchard didn't start despite the fact the Celtics rested several key contributors in this game, but that didn't prevent him from delivering an elite performance off the bench. Even though Pritchard couldn't match the 43-point performance he delivered in the win over the Trail Blazers on Wednesday, it's worth noting that Pritchard has scored in double digits in six of his eight appearances since the All-Star break.
Pritchard recorded 43 points (14-20 FG, 10-16 3Pt, 5-5 FT), 10 rebounds and five assists in 43 minutes during Wednesday's 128-118 win over the Trail Blazers.
Pritchard was on fire in the win, landing a career-high 10 three-pointers en route to what was also a career-high 43 points. He combined with Derrick White to score 84 points, the first time a pair of Celtic teammates have each totaled 40 points. After a scorching start to the season, Pritchard had slowed down over the past month, making this a much-needed return to form.
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Celtics' Payton Pritchard: Cleared to play against Portland
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Pritchard (hip) is available for Wednesday's game against Portland, Justin Turpin of WEEI.com reports.
Pritchard was probable due to left hip flexor tightness, so it's not a surprise that he'll be available Wednesday. With the Celtics missing three starters against the Blazers, the 2020 first-rounder should see a substantial boost in ball-handling duties off the bench. Pritchard has averaged 14.3 points, 2.7 assists, 2.5 rebounds, 0.7 steals and 3.8 three-pointers in 27.6 minutes through six games since the All-Star break.
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Celtics' Payton Pritchard: Probable to face Portland
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Pritchard is probable for Wednesday's game against Portland due to left hip flexor tightness, Taylor Snow of the Celtics' official site reports.
The left hip flexor tightness is a new concern for Pritchard, who has missed only one outing this season. The sharpshooter is expected to suit up Wednesday, and he could see a significant bump in minutes due to Jrue Holiday (finger), Jaylen Brown (illness) and Jayson Tatum (shoulder) all being included on the club's injury report. Over his last five outings, Pritchard has averaged 11.6 points, 3.0 rebounds, 3.0 three-pointers and 2.4 assists across 26.8 minutes per game.
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Celtics' Payton Pritchard: Shines from deep off bench in loss
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Pritchard tallied 18 points (6-10 FG, 5-8 3Pt, 1-1 FT), four assists, three rebounds and one steal over 31 minutes in Wednesday's 117-97 loss to Detroit.
Pritchard impressed from deep off the bench Wednesday, leading all Celtics bench players in scoring and assists while connecting on a team-high-tying mark from three in just over 30 minutes of action. Pritchard has now buried five or more threes on 19 occasions this season, doing so Wednesday for the third time in his last seven outings.
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Celtics' Payton Pritchard: Pours in 20 points off bench
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Pritchard tallied 20 points (8-17 FG, 4-13 3Pt), seven rebounds, two assists and two steals over 35 minutes during Tuesday's 111-101 win over Toronto.
He wasn't the most efficient from three-point range Tuesday, but Pritchard was able to weave his way to the paint effectively and finished as the Celtics' third-leading scorer behind Jaylen Brown (24) and Derrick White (22). Pritchard was also active on the glass, grabbing a team-high seven boards for the fourth time this season. Pritchard's scoring has been inconsistent as of late, but he has scored at least 20 points in four of his last seven games. He will likely have a significant role in the second leg of the Celtics' back-to-back set Wednesday against the Pistons.
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Celtics' Payton Pritchard: Erupts for game-high 28 points
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Pritchard notched 28 points (10-18 FG, 8-15 3Pt) and four assists in 31 minutes during Thursday's 124-104 victory over the 76ers.
Pritchard erupted for a game-high 28 points off the bench, falling one point short of his season high and draining eight three-pointers to match a season-best figure. The 27-year-old guard can be a streaky shooter, but overall, he's averaged a solid 13.9 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 1.0 steals and 3.3 three-pointers over his last eight outings while shooting 41.3 percent from beyond the arc.
Pritchard ended with five points (2-9 FG, 1-8 3Pt), 10 rebounds, eight assists and two steals in 36 minutes off the bench during Monday's 103-85 victory over the Heat.
With Jrue Holiday (shoulder) and Jaylen Brown (knee) both unavailable, the Celtics deployed a tight rotation that featured Pritchard as the clear sixth man. While the fifth-year guard had trouble getting his shot off, he did pull down double-digit boards for only the second time this season while posting his best distribution numbers since he dished nine dimes against the Warriors on Jan. 20. Pritchard played 27-plus minutes in seven of his last eight appearances, averaging 11.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 2.9 threes and 1.3 steals over that stretch while shooting 53.8 percent from the floor and 47.9 percent from beyond the arc.
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Celtics' Payton Pritchard: Leads bench in win
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Pritchard contributed 25 points (9-13 FG, 6-8 3Pt, 1-2 FT), four rebounds and four assists across 27 minutes during Saturday's 131-104 victory over the Knicks.
Pritchard posted 20-plus points for the second consecutive outing, leading the bench in scoring in the blowout win. Moreover, the 27-year-old finished as the club's second-leading scorer behind Jayson Tatum (40 points). Pritchard was extremely efficient in his 25-point performance, and he also sank five or more triples for the 17th time this season. Over his last five appearances, the fifth-year guard has averaged 13.6 points, 4.0 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 1.2 steals across 28.0 minutes per game.
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Celtics' Payton Pritchard: Extended run during garbage time
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Pritchard finished Thursday's 127-120 loss to the Mavericks with 22 points (9-15 FG, 3-9 3Pt), six assists, six rebounds and one block over 33 minutes.
With Boston down by more than 20 points, head coach Joe Mazulla went with Pritchard and four other Celtics reserves for most of the fourth quarter. Pritchard scored 16 of his 22 points in the final frame, and it was the first time since Jan. 18 against Atlanta that the fifth-year guard reached the 20-point threshold. The Celtics may need that firepower from their Sixth Man of the Year candidate against the Knicks on Saturday.
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Celtics' Payton Pritchard: Questionable Sunday
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Pritchard (illness) is questionable for Sunday's game against the 76ers, Taylor Snow of the Celtics' official site reports.
Pritchard is in jeopardy of missing his first game of the season due to the non-COVID illness. If the sharpshooter is sidelined Sunday, Sam Hauser and Jaden Springer could see an uptick in playing time. Over his last five outings, Pritchard has averaged 8.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.4 steals in 26.6 minutes per contest.
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Celtics' Payton Pritchard: Quiet again Saturday
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Pritchard finished with six points (2-4 FG, 2-4 3Pt), nine rebounds, four assists and one steal in 27 minutes during Saturday's 122-107 victory over the Mavericks.
Pritchard scored in single digits for the seventh time in the past 11 games, continuing his downward trend after a red-hot start to the season. Although he continues to serve as the primary sixth-man for the Celtics, his contributions have taken a noticeable hit. Over the past month, he has averaged a modest 11.9 points, 3.8 assists and 2.4 three-pointers in 25.4 minutes per game.
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Celtics' Payton Pritchard: Steps up for Boston
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Pritchard registered 14 points (5-10 FG, 2-6 3Pt, 2-2 FT), two rebounds, nine assists, one block and one steal across 22 minutes during Monday's 125-85 victory over the Warriors.
Pritchard finished one assist shy of a double-double in one of his best all-around performances of the season. This game was over in a hurry, but only three of Pritchard's points came in garbage time in the fourth quarter. The guard is trending up with averages of 13.8 points, 4.2 assists, 2.6 rebounds and 2.6 three-pointers over his last five games.
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Celtics' Payton Pritchard: Strikes for 20 off bench Saturday
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Pritchard logged 20 points (7-12 FG, 4-8 3Pt, 2-2 FT), six rebounds and one assist across 33 minutes off the bench during Saturday's 119-115 overtime loss to the Hawks.
It's the second time in the last three games Pritchard has hit for 20 points, although the fifth-year guard managed just four points in between. His role on the bench can make him feast or famine from game to game, but over his last 12 contests, Pritchard is averaging 12.8 points, 3.5 assists, 3.4 boards, 2.8 threes and 0.7 steals in 25.6 minutes.
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Celtics' Payton Pritchard: Bounces back with 20 points in loss
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Pritchard posted 20 points (7-11 FG, 4-8 3Pt, 2-3 FT), four assists, two boards and a steal in 31 minutes of action in the 110-97 loss to the Raptors on Wednesday.
The fifth-year guard averaged just 5.8 points, 2.8 assists and 1.8 rebounds on 21.7 percent shooting from deep over the four games prior to Wednesday's contest but was able to find his form against the Raptors. He finished as the team's leading scorer in the loss and came away with his second 20-point performance of the month to this point. Pritchard will look to build off this outing Friday against the Magic, although it's worth noting he only had seven points, three rebounds and one assist in their last meeting.
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Celtics' Payton Pritchard: Sees just 11 minutes
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Pritchard finished Sunday's 105-92 loss to the Thunder with zero points (0-5 FG, 0-3 3Pt), one rebound and one assist in 11 minutes.
The Celtics tightened their rotation for this clash against the Thunder, resulting in a season-low 11 minutes for Pritchard. It obviously didn't help his case that he missed all five of his shots. His fantasy managers can chalk this up as a dud, as he's been pretty reliable this season with averages of 15.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 0.9 steals and 3.6 three-pointers.
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Celtics' Payton Pritchard: Drains five more threes Tuesday
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Pritchard posted 19 points (7-13 FG, 5-8 3Pt), six rebounds, four assists and three steals over 23 minutes off the bench during Tuesday's 125-71 victory over the Raptors.
The fifth-year guard has caught fire to close out 2024. Pritchard has scored at least 18 points in three straight games, averaging 19.3 points, 6.0 boards, 5.7 assists, 4.7 threes and 1.3 steals in 27.7 minutes a contest while shooting 50.0 percent from the floor and a blistering 53.8 percent (14-for-26) from beyond the arc. He should continue to be productive as the Celtics' top-scoring threat on the second unit.
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Celtics' Payton Pritchard: Leader from deep off bench in loss
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Pritchard recorded 21 points (7-13 FG, 5-8 3Pt, 2-2 FT), four rebounds and three assists in 28 minutes during Sunday's 123-114 loss to Indiana.
Pritchard provided a huge lift offensively off the Celtics' bench Sunday, leading all players in threes made while finishing as one of three Boston players with 20 or more points in a losing effort. It was Pritchard's 14th tally of five or more made threes and his 11th time surpassing 20 points. Sunday's game marked the second straight outing that Pritchard has reached double figures in scoring to go along with four or more threes.
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Celtics' Payton Pritchard: Bounces back with double-double
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Pritchard closed Friday's 142-105 victory over the Pacers with 18 points (7-16 FG, 4-11 3Pt), eight rebounds, 10 assists, one block and one steal in 32 minutes.
After scoring in single digits in each of his past three outings, Pritchard broke out of that slump in a big way Friday, tallying his third double-double of the season while handing out a game-high 10 assists in Jrue Holiday's (shoulder) absence. While the streaky Pritchard has notched six 20-point games since Nov. 22, he's also logged six single-digit scoring outputs during this 16-game period, so he's proven to be a relatively inconsistent fantasy asset amid his breakout campaign as one of the league's premier sixth men. The 26-year-old sharpshooter is still playing a featured role for the Celtics, and although fantasy managers will have to deal with some poor shooting nights out of Pritchard, the guard has the ability to heat up in a hurry and score in bunches.
