Monday night's game between the defending NBA champion Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks at TD Garden was the Payton Pritchard show.
The Celtics guard came off the bench and scored 28 points thanks to some record-breaking outside shooting in a 119-108 win.
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Pritchard caught fire right away and ended up shooting 8-of-12 from 3-point range (10-of-14 overall). He hit five 3-pointers and scored 19 points in the first half alone, which helped the Celtics stay within striking distance of the Bucks, who led 56-53 at halftime.
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Prichard made Celtics history in a few ways versus the Bucks.
For starters, he tied Eddie House's team record for the most 3-pointers made off the bench in a single game. House hit eight 3-point shots against the Sacramento Kings on Jan. 28, 2009. Pritchard also became the first C's player ever to make five or more 3-pointers off the bench in at least three consecutive games.
For the 3rd straight game, Pritchard has made 5 three-pointers off the bench. He's the first Celtic to ever achieve that feat!
— Dick Lipe (@DickLipe) October 29, 2024
After scoring just three points in a win over the New York Knicks on Opening Night, Pritchard scored 15 against the Washington Wizards, 19 versus the Detroit Pistons and now 28 against the Bucks.
The 26-year-old guard is averaging 16.3 points per game and shooting 50 percent from beyond the arc through four games. He leads the league with 65 points off the bench entering Tuesday.
It's a long season. There are 78 games left on the Celtics schedule. But if Pritchard plays anywhere near this level on a consistent basis, he might become a candidate for the Sixth Man of the Year Award later in the season.
