Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard (11) controls the ball as Toronto Raptors guard Ochai Agbaji (30) tries to defend during the first quarter at Scotiabank Arena. Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images

Unlikely hero Payton Pritchard leads Celtics to win vs. Raptors

By Mike J. Asti | Last updated Dec 20, 2025 11:31 PM ET

No Jaylen Brown, no problem for the Boston Celtics on Saturday night. With Brown sitting out on his second game of the season due to an illness, a less likely hero put on the cape for the Celtics.

Payton Pritchard scored 33 points in 37 minutes, leading Boston to a 112-96 win over the Raptors in Toronto. Pritchard's big game allowed the Celtics to beat a team trying to chase them in the standings.

In addition, his point total, which, to put in perspective, was only the third time he reached or surpassed 30 points all season, Pritchard shot an efficient 54.2% from the field while hitting 13-for-24 shots and 4-of-9 attempts for three for 44.4% from long range.

Pritchard also had 10 assists and seven rebounds to complete the double-double.

Payton Pritchard and the @celtics win in Toronto!

33 PTS I 8 REB I 10 AST I 4 3PM

Boston improves to 17-11 on the season ☘️ pic.twitter.com/JLEZFfOqAD
— NBA (@NBA) December 21, 2025

Pritchard has had big games before

The last time Pritchard carried the load for Boston was when he put up 42 points in a win in Cleveland, getting to that total with Brown in the lineup. Pritchard's career-high is when he scored 43 last season on March 5 against the Portland Trail Blazers.

With the win, the Celtics are now 17-11 and in a firm playoff position as the current No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference. Toronto is 17-12, making Saturday's win critical.

Boston needs Brown back to stay in the playoff picture

But despite Pritchard showing he can post big offensive numbers when needed, Celtics fans know they need Brown to truly have a shot at contending this season. Most expected Boston to take what experts were referring to as a "gap year," knowing superstar Jayson Tatum would miss most, if not all, of the season after undergoing surgery for an Achilles tear he suffered this past postseason.

Brown has played like the MVP Boston needs most of the year so far, averaging 29.3 points, 6.3 rebounds and 5.0 assists in 26 games.

Mike J. Asti

Mike Asti is an experienced media personality and journalist with a vast resume and skillset, most notably from time with TribLIVE Radio and WPXI-TV. Asti now serves as the Managing Editor of WV Sports Now, where he leads the coverage of WVU sports. He has also covered the Steelers, Penguins, Pirates and other teams within the Pittsburgh market

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