The Boston Celtics boast a potent starting five that’s one of the best in the NBA. And on Tuesday night against the Indiana Pacers, every Celtics starter had at least 17 points en route to a 129-124 victory.
Although the starters stole the show versus Indiana, a record-breaking performance came from the bench. Celtics point guard Payton Pritchard made just one shot during the prime-time matchup, yet that one bucket accomplished a franchise feat not seen since 2009.
Pritchard has now hit a 3-pointer in 25 straight games, which is the longest streak for a Celtics bench player. Prior to the Oregon standout’s triple in the third quarter, Celtics shooter Eddie House set the record during the 2008-09 season.
House is forever a part of Celtics history after joining the C’s during the 2007-08 season and helping them capture their first title in over two decades. The 2023-24 Celtics hope Pritchard can be their House, as he’s a shooting threat off the bench who can heat up in a hurry.
Even though Pritchard finished with just three points on Tuesday, he also added four rebounds and three assists in his 17 minutes of play. This season, he’s averaging a career-high 7.8 points per outing while shooting 42.3% from the field.
What’s even more impressive is that the 6-foot-1 point guard is putting up a career-high 3.2 rebounds per game. That mark clears his previous career-best of 2.4 rebounds per game and points to the versatility of Pritchard’s game and his willingness to do the dirty work off the bench. Plus, of all players officially listed as point guards by ESPN, Pritchard has the 24th-most rebounds per game—and just three of those 24 floor generals are shorter than him.
While Pritchard still has more work to do this season, he’s done just about everything the Celtics could ask of him. He’s the only Celtic this season to play in every game during the 2023-24 campaign and has provided a spark off the bench in most of those appearances.
He’ll have another opportunity to prove his $30 million extension this offseason was worth it on Thursday night when the rival Los Angeles Lakers come to Beantown for the first time since January of 2023.
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