Payton Pritchard’s Childhood Tie Made Career Feat More ‘Special’

Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard understood the assignment on Wednesday night.

Without Jayson Tatum, Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday, the shorthanded Celtics were tasked with taking down the unpredictable Portland Trail Blazers at TD Garden. Pritchard, in tandem with fellow guard Derrick White, ensured Boston wouldn’t slip and did so in historic fashion. Pritchard and White became the first teammates in Celtics history to each score 40-plus points in the same game.

Pritchard’s 43-point, 10-assist double-double and White’s 41 points — both career highs — guided Boston past Portland in the team’s 128-118 victory. Needless to say, the night was special for both backcourt contributors, however, it was an especially sentimental night for Pritchard, the team’s unofficial sixth man.

“It’s always fun playing the Blazers,” Pritchard said, as seen on NBC Sports Boston’s postgame coverage. “Grew up going to games, watching the Blazers. So it’s special to play your hometown team and to go out and get a (win), and play well.”

Pritchard grew up in Tualatin, OR, attended West Linn High School and spent four seasons playing for the Oregon Ducks before declaring for the 2020 NBA Draft. He’s been drawing eyes for a while, years before ever sporting a Celtics uniform, and has had the support of nine-time All-Star Damian Lillard before being drafted.

“I go into games, like I said, just trying to make the right reads,” Pritchard said. “Because it could’ve been Sam Hauser’s night, and he hits 10-to-15 threes, like D. White does what he does. (Jaylen Brown) could have 50. So I don’t go into any night thinking, ‘Oh, it’s my night.’ It’s just you read the game and the ball ended up finding me. Next game, the ball might not find me at all, but how am I gonna impact the game?”

The undersized 27-year-old has filled big shoes for the Celtics in the past, each season gaining more trust from the team. It rewarded Boston during its championship run last season, and Pritchard has only continued to reward that trust that Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens demonstrated by locking him to a four-year, $30 million contract extension two offseasons ago.

Pritchard, in the process of his latest Sixth Man of the Year campaign, knocked down 10 of 16 threes attempted off the bench, falling one 3-pointer shy of matching Marcus Smart’s franchise record (11). It wasn’t Pritchard’s goal to chase the record either way as the bigger picture in proving the team’s depth is sustainable amid a stretch in which support has come to question was at the forefront for everyone.

Still, that doesn’t mean Pritchard didn’t enjoy the love that came from Boston’s faithful in attendance and the well-earned water cup shower that followed.

“Definitely special,” Pritchard said. “Just having the crowd behind you. I know I have a lot of love out here, which I definitely appreciate. So to have a night like this and to see the crowd get behind me, it makes me keep going and keep working hard because you never know what the future could hold. So I’m gonna keep striving for greatness.”

Pritchard’s career night didn’t just do justice to his sixth man case, it also helped the Celtics improve to 44-18 with their eighth win in the team’s last 10 games.