A championship team needs stars. And while productive bench players aren't always considered necessities, they can work wonders for a contender too. Luckily for the Boston Celtics, they have a pair of stars in Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown and can bring energetic point guard Payton Pritchard off the bench.
On Wednesday night against the Brooklyn Nets, that terrific trio took over, earning Boston a dominant 139-114 win. Tatum and Brown, who are used to leading the C's, combined for 60 points, 21 rebounds, 14 assists, and just one turnover. After years of consistent production that resulted in an NBA title this past summer, the greatness of Tatum and Brown feels familiar.
Pritchard's journey has been very different. The 2020 first-round pick averaged under 20 minutes per game in each of his first three years in the league. However, with more opportunity, the Oregon native has shown what he's truly capable of.
Through the first 12 games of the 2024-25 regular season, Pritchard averaged a career-high 27.9 minutes per outing, resulting in a career-high average of 15.7 points. Wednesday was more of the same, as the 26-year-old posted 23 points, eight assists, and six rebounds in 36 minutes of play.
What Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown say about Payton Pritchard's performance
Pritchard's star teammates appreciate his commitment to leading the bench mob and trust him more than ever, per Justin Turpin of WEEI.
“Payton has been excellent. He’s been great, and that’s what we need,” Brown complimented. “He’s been a superstar in his role. Like now, it’s kind of expected because he’s done it so much and he’s done it so well. But obviously, it's a long season and we gotta keep encouraging him, finding him, and, at times, even playing through him. Let Payton run the show. I don't mind.”
Jaylen Brown on Payton Pritchard, who had 23 points on 8-13 shooting & 6 REBs tonight: “Payton has been excellent. He’s been great, & that’s what we need. He’s been a superstar in his role. Like now, it’s kind of expected because he’s done it so much and he’s done it so well.”
A few years ago, the idea of Pritchard running Boston's offense would be far-fetched. In fact, due to his previous lack of playing time, the Celtics point guard requested a trade in the summer of 2023.
The Green Team stuck with Pritchard, and he returned the favor by hitting big shots throughout the 2024 postseason. He's continuing that pattern during the 2024-25 regular season, yet at a much higher rate.
The reigning NBA champion has made 50 triples in 13 games, giving him the fourth-most makes from beyond the arc in the Association. Only former and present All-Stars — including Charlotte Hornets point guard LaMelo Ball, Tatum, and Minnesota Timberwolves franchise cornerstone Anthony Edwards — have connected on more 3-pointers this season, per Bobby Manning of CLNS Media.
“Payton is super important. He's having the best start of his career,” Tatum told reporters. “A lot of the times, he changes the course of the game. If we have a lead, he extends it … We need everybody … We got, probably, the best bench in the league … Guys who would be starting on other teams.”
Shooting isn't the only thing Pritchard offers. He can invigorate any lineup he enters with winning plays, ranging from scrappy steals to impressive offensive rebounds. At just 6-foot-1, Pritchard grabbed two offensive boards on Wednesday, which was more than any player on the Nets. Boston's supremacy on the glass (12 offensive rebounds to Brooklyn's two) helped it secure a victory and avoid losing back-to-back games for the first time all season.
The now 10-3 Celtics will have a rare two-day break before hosting the Toronto Raptors on Saturday night. This kind of game against arguably the worst team in the Eastern Conference might be hard to get up for, especially since the C's are the defending champs. But, it's the exact kind of contest Pritchard looks forward to because he can provide the energy whenever his team needs it.
