Celtics Notes: Porzingis, Pritchard, Tatum, Brown
The Celtics didn’t provide many details about the viral illness that forced Kristaps Porzingis to miss the last eight games, and it turns out that even Porzingis wasn’t sure what he was dealing with, according to Tim Bontemps of ESPN.
After returning for Saturday’s 115-113 win at Brooklyn, Porzingis told reporters it was “extremely frustrating” to not have a definite diagnosis. He described it as an upper respiratory condition that eventually morphed into possibly bronchitis or mononucleosis.
“But I haven’t been this sick for probably ever in my life,” he said. “So I was really, for a week really just laying at home trying to recover. And after that I had lingering fatigue — and I still have it a little bit — but at least I’m not getting into shape to be able to play. But after each workout I was, boom, big crash. I was really, really fatigued. Like, not normal. So, yeah, it’s taking a little bit longer, but I’m doing everything, all my bio-hacking stuff that I know, and just trying to get back in the best shape possible.”
Porzingis added that he tried to prepare for several games, including last Saturday’s meeting with the Lakers in Boston, but he would “crash” and quickly get drained of energy. He offered an explanation on social media to fans on Monday to help them understand his condition.
He was able to play 32 minutes tonight, finishing with 24 points, and remained on the court for nearly the entire fourth quarter. He’ll find out tomorrow if there are any lingering effects from the illness, but for now he’s happy to be able to contribute again.
“As the game went on, I felt better and better,” Porzingis said. “I kind of had a little crash in the third but I pushed through it and in the fourth had a great fourth. Yeah, it was a close one, but I’m happy we got it done.”
There’s more on the Celtics:
- Payton Pritchard has set an NBA record for the most three-pointers off the bench in a season, Bontemps adds. Pritchard, who hasn’t started a single game in 2024/25, sank five long-distance shots tonight, giving him 220 for the year and pushing him past Wayne Ellington.
- Jayson Tatum played Friday and tonight, even though he was listed as questionable for both ends of the back-to-back due to knee issues, writes Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. Boston has been resting its regulars in preparation for the playoffs, but Tatum admitted he’s stubborn when it comes to sitting out games. “A lot of head-butting for sure,” he said. “I’ve always said that I’m still young, but I just turned 27, I understand the balance of being fresh and stuff, ready for hopefully a long playoff run. I’ve talked about the value that I’ve put into playing in road games. I’ve been very blessed and fortunate, too. When I come in arenas, I see a lot of Tatum ‘0’ jerseys and kids with my shoes on. I understand they might be for their birthday or Christmas gift or whatever, and I try to stay ready and play as much and often as I can, and especially games on the road.”
- Back spasms forced Jaylen Brown to leave tonight’s game midway through the third quarter, per Souichi Terada of MassLive. Brown sat out Friday’s contest in Miami and was listed as questionable for today due to a right knee posterior impingement.
Celtics Notes: Sixers Game, Pritchard, White, Walsh
Tonight’s nationally televised game between Boston and Philadelphia will be lacking in star power. The Celtics (Twitter links) have ruled out Jaylen Brown (right knee posterior impingement), Al Horford (left big toe sprain) and Kristaps Porzingis (illness), while Jrue Holiday remains sidelined with a broken finger on his right hand (mallet finger).
Both Jayson Tatum (right shoulder impingement) and Sam Hauser (right ankle sprain) are questionable to suit up, per the team.
The banged-up Sixers, who have already lost Joel Embiid, Jared McCain and Eric Gordon for the season, will be without Paul George this evening due to left groin soreness, Shams Charania of ESPN reports (via Twitter). George, who has battled a variety of injuries in 2024/25, was previously listed as questionable.
Tyrese Maxey (lower back sprain) and Kyle Lowry (right hip injury management) are also out for the 76ers, while Justin Edwards is questionable with a left ankle sprain, according to the league’s latest injury report.
Thursday is the second end of a back-to-back for Boston; Philadelphia last played on Tuesday.
Here’s more on the Celtics:
- Guards Payton Pritchard and Derrick White made history in Wednesday’s 10-point victory over Portland, writes Kyle Hightower of The Associated Press. In addition to becoming the first Celtics duo to score 40-plus points in the same game, they also became the first tandem in NBA history to each make at least nine three-pointers in the same contest. Both players set career highs in points and threes made, with Pritchard (43 and 10) slightly edging White (41 and nine). They were both extremely efficient — Pritchard shot 14-of-20 and chipped in 10 rebounds and five assists in 43 minutes, while White was 14-of-26 and also had three rebounds, two assists, three steals and a block. Remarkably, they only combined for one turnover.
- Second-year forward Jordan Walsh was a surprise contributor in yesterday’s win, notes Brian Robb of MassLive. The 21-year-old has only averaged 8.0 minutes per game in 41 appearances this season, but he matched a season high by playing 21 minutes against the Blazers. As Robb writes, Walsh hadn’t played at all in three of the five games leading up to Wednesday’s contest, in part due to the signing of veteran Torrey Craig. However, Walsh was ahead of Craig on the depth chart yesterday and got an opportunity for playing time with Tatum, Porzingis and Holiday out.
- After the game, head coach Joe Mazzulla explained Walsh’s increased workload. He finished with three points and six rebounds. “Just with guys out, opportunity is there,” Mazzulla said, per Robb. “His ability to defend in individual defense, these guys do a great job of breaking guys down, and he’s really gotten better at that, and we needed someone who offensive rebounds. I think he got two big ones in the first half, I think he ended up with one more there, so just continuing to get better. It’s an opportunity to get him out there and make sure he continues to grow defensively and rebounding.”
Celtics Notes: Craig, Ownership, Pritchard, Stevens
The newest roster addition to the Celtics, veteran forward Torrey Craig, has already excited Boston fans, observes MassLive’s Brian Robb in a new reader mailbag.
The Celtics have been starved for defensive wing help off the bench. During his Celtics debut, a 116-103 win over San Antonio on Wednesday, Craig flashed plenty of the 3-and-D game that convinced the team’s brass to bring him aboard.
Robb notes that, should Craig play well for the club during the home stretch of the season and the playoffs, the Celtics would probably be happy to retain him on a veteran’s minimum contract. Robb speculates that the 2024/25 season could be the last year the club’s current top eight players remain together, due to huge luxury tax penalties.
Hitting pay dirt with cost-effective veteran additions like Craig could prove critical for the team going forward.
There’s more out of Boston:
- The Celtics’ impending sale could have a major impact on the team’s roster in the coming seasons, Robb writes. For just 2025/26, the Celtics are projected to owe $513MM in salary and luxury tax penalties — a league record. A new ownership group may be reticent to foot that bill in the future. With the possible of exception of aging Jrue Holiday‘s pricey salary, Robb notes that the rest of the team’s core pieces have fairly tradable deals.
- Celtics reserve guard Payton Pritchard has evolved into a masterful marksman and a top Sixth Man of the Year candidate this season. As Jay King of The Athletic details, Pritchard brought in multiple professional or NCAA players to push him in workouts four or five days a week over the summer. He also worked to improve his jump-shooting off the bounce, and to up his conditioning. “It’s just putting myself in different situations,” Pritchard said. “It’s not necessarily doing a certain drill, it’s certain situations where they’re guarding me, what’s the right shot to get to here? If they play it a certain way, if I’m on this side of the court and they guard me at this angle, then I should get to this shot, these shots. Just having an arsenal for those different things.”
- Celtics team president Brad Stevens, a former standout coach at Butler, has shut down rumors that he could be a candidate for the head coaching gig at Indiana, he informed Jeff Goodman of The Field Of 68 (Twitter link). “I thoroughly appreciate being a Celtic and love the people I get to work with every day,” Stevens said.
Celtics Notes: Porzingis, Horford, Tucker, Trade Deadline, Pritchard
With everybody healthy for Friday’s game against New Orleans, Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla tinkered with his closing lineup, according to to Souichi Terada of MassLive. Mazzulla rotated his centers in the final minutes of the two-point victory, using Kristaps Porzingis when Boston had the ball and Al Horford when the team was on defense.
“Just different looks,” Mazzulla explained. “We need to play different ways, different coverages. Give them different ones. We just needed to change the matchup and give them a different coverage, looking to take away the three and so just kind of do that.”
Terada notes that Porzingis played well defensively, collecting three steals and four blocks. However, Mazzulla opted to use Horford in key defensive possessions because he’s more effective in closing out on perimeter shooters.
“For me, nothing changed,” Porzingis said. “We trust Al and he comes in for defense and when my name gets called, I’m always ready. Nothing changed.”
There’s more on the Celtics:
- P.J. Tucker could wind up being an option on the buyout market after today’s Clippers-Jazz trade, Terada suggests in a separate story. Tucker hasn’t played yet this season, but he’s a tough defender with a lot of playoff experience. As a second apron team, the Celtics are limited in the buyout candidates they can pursue, but they’re eligible to sign Tucker because his $11.5MM salary is below the $12.8MM mid-level exception. Boston has kept a roster spot open since the start of the season.
- In a mailbag column, Brian Robb of MassLive puts the chances of a Celtics trade by the deadline at 95%. Robb says it’s possible the team could move Jaden Springer to reduce its luxury tax bill, even though he’s been an important contributor lately. Beyond that, Robb sees a need to upgrade from Springer, Jordan Walsh and Baylor Scheierman on the wing, as well as Xavier Tillman in the frontcourt.
- Payton Pritchard has become famous for his success on long-distance shots at the end of quarters, but he’s proving there’s a lot more to his game than that, writes Baxter Holmes of ESPN. Holmes examines how Pritchard has been able to work his way up from a little-used reserve to become a point of emphasis for opposing coaches on a team filled with stars. “Every day, I’m trying to prove that I can still reach another level,” he said. “I can still show people what I’m trying to become. That’s why I’m always challenging the best that we have — like Jaylen (Brown) and Jayson (Tatum). I’m trying to become as good as them one day. That’s why I challenge them. I’m trying to keep taking steps to better myself, which, at the end of the day, is only going to better our team.”
Celtics Notes: Walsh, Porzingis, Pritchard, Springer
Jordan Walsh impressed Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla with his willingness to play in Thursday’s win over Detroit, writes Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. The second-year forward was given the option to miss the game because of bruised ribs, but the team was already without Jayson Tatum and Sam Hauser. Walsh decided to play, even though it meant additional stress on his aching ribcage.
“I was explaining to him, when you’re a young guy and you’re banged up a little bit, it’s easy to sit out a game because you’re not expected to play all the time,” Mazzulla said. “And I was telling him about Jayson and Jaylen (Brown) and these guys, when they’re banged up, they don’t have a choice. They have to play and they have to deliver. And I said that’s the hard part, the mentality and the mind-set that young guys have a hard time delivering when they’re not at their best. I thought it was a huge development for him to do that, to work to do that. It just comes from the environment. It comes from how the locker room holds themselves to a high standard. So I think the environment is a big piece in the development.”
A second-round pick in 2023, Walsh has seen an expanded role after spending most of his rookie year in the G League and appearing in just nine NBA games. He has gotten into 17 so far this season, although playing time is still hard to come by on one of the league’s best rosters. He’s averaging 1.4 points and 1.2 rebounds in 9.1 minutes per night.
“I feel like everything you do here builds a reputation, so if I go and sit out when I was supposed to play, now I’m soft,” Walsh said. “Now I’m trying to find a reason to be out. It’s like, nah, I don’t want to be that guy. I want to be the guy who’s always trying to find a way to get in, to play more and be more active. That’s what I want to go for.”
There’s more from Boston:
- The exuberance that Kristaps Porzingis shows on the court stems from his love of playing for the Celtics, per Khari Thompson of The Boston Globe. Porzingis started his career in New York, then spent time with Dallas and Washington before being traded to Boston last summer. “I definitely enjoy playing here like crazy,” he said. “… Obviously, now you guys see me smiling and happy, but I would say this is how I’ve been most of my career. It’s just now that I’m on a bigger stage and everybody can see how I play and how I enjoy the game.”
- Payton Pritchard is considered one of the favorites for Sixth Man of the Year honors, but he told reporters, including Souichi Terada of MassLive, that it’s not a priority for him. “It’s not something I really think about,” Pritchard said. “If I’m fortunate enough to win, that’s I guess a testament to the hard work I put in and I think it just means that I helped this team coming off the bench and doing my job at a high level. It’s not something like if I don’t win or win, it’s not make-or-break it for me.”
- The Celtics’ interest in trading Jaden Springer in October was likely sparked by Lonnie Walker‘s strong preseason, Brian Robb of MassLive states in a mailbag column. The team reportedly would have needed to attach draft assets to get someone to take Springer, so he remained on the roster while Walker was waived. Robb adds that Springer’s $4MM expiring contract could be useful if Boston wants to make a trade before the deadline.
Celtics Notes: Brown, Porzingis, Hauser, Pritchard
Celtics forward Jaylen Brown has been fined $25K for making a throat-slash gesture during Wednesday’s game against Detroit, the NBA announced (via Twitter). As Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe describes, Brown’s reaction came after he dunked the ball, and it was directed at Pistons big man Isaiah Stewart to send a message that the Celtics wouldn’t be intimidated.
“Just caught up in the moment, I guess,” Brown said after the game, acknowledging that he was expecting a fine. “Big play. I think the NBA and the [Players Association] are sensitive about the gestures and things like that. I’ve got to be mindful of that.”
Washburn adds that Stewart later retaliated by pushing Brown into the crowd as they battled for position on a rebound. Brown decided not to escalate the situation so he wouldn’t risk being thrown out of the game.
“I feel like he’s always doing stuff like that,” he said of Stewart. “That’s how he plays the game. But my focus is on coming out and running our offense and getting our team into the right positions. I didn’t want to get distracted, but definitely some going back and forth, and we’re not tolerating that this year from nobody.”
There’s more from Boston:
- The on-court chemistry that Kristaps Porzingis formed with Brown last season resurfaced instantly when Porzingis returned to action last week, observes Souichi Terada of MassLive. After posting 26 points and nine rebounds against Detroit, Porzingis lauded Brown’s play-making skills for handing out nine assists. “He does a good job of trying to read the team — who needs to get a touch, who we need to get going,” Porzingis said. “He’s good at that. If he needs to take more responsibility and attack more and create more, he does that for us. We already know what he gives us defensively, his physicality. When he’s engaged like this, he’s one of the best players in the league in my opinion.”
- Sam Hauser offered a reminder on Wednesday that he can fit into the starting lineup whenever necessary, notes Brian Robb of MassLive. With Jayson Tatum sitting out the game, Hauser made his second start of the season and responded with 20 points while going 5-of-10 from three-point range. Robb notes that Hauser seems to have overcome early-season issues with back pain.
- Payton Pritchard could be in the mix to close games at some point this season, even with a fully healthy roster, Robb adds in a mailbag column. Robb contends that Pritchard has been more effective than Jrue Holiday, even though Holiday continues to produce at a high level.
Celtics Notes: Pritchard, White, Injuries, Mazzulla
Payton Pritchard provided a huge lift off the bench Friday night as the Celtics broke open a close game in Chicago and kept their hopes alive for a spot in the NBA Cup’s knockout round, writes Brian Robb of MassLive. Forced into extra duty after Derrick White left the game with a sprained right foot in the third quarter, Pritchard played 28 minutes, including the final 19, while scoring 29 points. He hit seven three-pointers and scored all the points in a late 11-4 run that put the game away.
“It’s obviously a great feeling but I feel like the best feeling is winning on the road and being able to help my team get over the hump tonight,” Pritchard said. “Obviously I feel it. I can hear the crowd, the gravity it pulls. It definitely was a fun night.”
Pritchard is in his fifth season with Boston, and it seems like a long time ago that he was asking to be traded due to a lack of playing time. He has become one of the most dangerous bench weapons in the league — averaging a career-high 15.6 PPG while shooting 48.5% from the field and 44% from three-point range — and Jayson Tatum is pushing for him to get some individual recognition.
“It’s been pretty cool to see him grow into the player that he is, being effective on a championship team,” Tatum said, “and the things that he’s doing is Sixth Man of the Year worthy for me.”
There’s more on the Celtics:
- White’s injury doesn’t appear to be serious, as he’s being listed as questionable for Sunday’s showdown with Cleveland for first place in the East, per Souichi Terada of MassLive. Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford and Jrue Holiday are also questionable, and Terada suggests they may be staggered as Boston prepares for a stretch of five games in seven days.
- Other coaches have expressed reservations about running up the score in NBA Cup games to gain a points differential advantage, but Joe Mazzulla enjoys that aspect of the tournament, Terada adds in a separate story. Mazzulla called time out Friday with 1.4 seconds left to set up a Sam Hauser three-pointer that increased the Celtics’ final margin of victory to nine points. “I like it because this tournament and the point differential kind of eliminates the unwritten rules that you’re supposed to follow or not follow,” Mazzulla said. “Where in a normal situation, you wouldn’t do that. But in this one, you get to draw up a play and try to get better in that situation. So guys did a good job executing and we tried to extend the point differential as much as we could.”
- Three-point defense was a concern in Friday’s game as Chicago stayed close by sinking 20 shots from beyond the arc, notes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. It was the most all season against the Celtics, who rank fourth in the league in limiting three-pointers. “We had to turn up the pressure a little bit more. We were scoring and maybe we weren’t as physical with them so they felt good about themselves,” Porzingis said. “The second half that was an emphasis for us, being more physical with them, make them work a little bit more for everything.”
Celtics Notes: Porzingis, White, Pritchard, Hauser, Queta
Celtics big man Kristaps Porzingis has become an expert on overcoming injuries throughout his NBA career. After he returned Monday slightly ahead of schedule from offseason surgery on his left leg, Porzingis talked about the process he had to go through to get back on the court, writes Khari Thompson of The Boston Globe.
“Honestly, I would say, it was one of the easiest rehabs for me,” Porzingis told reporters. “The only thing was I had to stay off the ankle for four to six weeks, so it was tough. Just on one leg with the scooter, can’t get up the stairs. It was a little bit difficult from that perspective, but once that moment passed and I was able to walk, honestly it felt pretty natural.”
Appearing on the Boston broadcast of Monday’s game, president of basketball operations Brad Stevens said he recognized that Porzingis was healing faster than expected when he reported for training camp. Optimism about an early return grew as the team watched him during a preseason trip to Abu Dhabi.
Porzingis added that he was eager to get back on the court after being limited in what he could do since Game 5 of the NBA Finals.
“I started to feel pretty good almost a month ago,” he said. “I would say the whole rehab, I was ahead of it all the time. I was itching to do more, start more, sprints, contact one-on-one. I was asking the medical staff to do more, but we were still smart and completed all the stages up to get to this point. I told them that if you guys give me the green light, I want to do it as soon as possible. That was it. I got here maybe even a month early and it’s good to be back out there.”
There’s more from Boston:
- The Celtics had to switch more often on defense without Porzingis to serve as their primary shot-blocker, observes Souichi Terada of MassLive. That led to more points surrendered in the paint, so his teammates are glad to have Porzingis back to guard the rim. “I just let him block the shots and not me,” Derrick White said. “KP just does a lot for us. Obviously, rim protection. But just kind of his presence and everything, it’s nice to have him out there.”
- Having knockdown shooters Payton Pritchard and Sam Hauser coming off the bench often gives the Celtics a huge advantage, notes Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. Both played important roles in Monday’s win over the Clippers, as Pritchard went 6-of-10 from beyond the arc in a 20-point night, while Hauser was perfect on his three long-distance shots. Pritchard was plus-30 in nearly 26 minutes, and Hauser was plus-27 in 23 minutes. “Our chemistry grows every single day because we’re always working out with each other,” Hauser said. “I feel like each of us does different things well on the court that complement each other in a unique way. It’s been special to see what Payton’s been doing this year. He’s really been playing well. I’ve known for a while he’s been able to do this, so I’m glad everyone else is getting a chance to see it.”
- Neemias Queta was back in coach Joe Mazzulla‘s big-man rotation on Monday after not playing in Sunday’s game, per Brian Robb of MassLive. Defensive shortcomings have cut into Queta’s playing time, but he delivered 12 points, nine rebounds and four blocks in 25 minutes. Al Horford and Luke Kornet both sat out Monday, so it’s not clear if Queta will continue to get opportunities once they return.
And-Ones: D-Lo, Lithuania, 2025 Draft, Awards, Fall
Lakers point guard D’Angelo Russell recently confirmed rumors that he’d have interest in playing for the Lithuanian national team. Addressing those reports on Tuesday, however, the Lithuanian Basketball Federation announced that it doesn’t intend to initiate the naturalization process for Russell, citing both legal and basketball reasons.
Russell’s wife is of Lithuanian descent, but today’s statement from the Lithuanian Basketball Federation indicated that there are no grounds for Russell himself, as a foreigner, to be granted citizenship by exception, which can only be approved by the President of Lithuania.
As BasketNews.com notes, Lithuanian Basketball Federation president Mindaugas Balciunas added that national team head coach Rimas Kurtinaitis and general manager Linas Kleiza, “aim to achieve success using our own talent pool.” The naturalized slot on the club’s roster is currently held by Ignas Brazdeikis, who was born in Lithuania but moved to North America as a child, represented Canada in youth international competitions, and had his Lithuanian citizenship restored in 2021.
Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Looking ahead to the 2025 NBA draft, Jonathan Givony of ESPN identifies 10 international prospects worth knowing, starting with French point guard Nolan Traore, a projected top-10 pick, and Spanish wing Hugo Gonzalez, a lottery candidate. Israeli guard Ben Saraf, French forward Noa Essengue, and Croatian forward Michael Ruzic are among the other candidates to be first-round picks, according to Givony.
- Also at ESPN.com, Tim Bontemps shares his top takeaways from the first month of the 2024/25 NBA season, noting how important depth has been for many of this fall’s top teams, and ESPN’s NBA insiders make their early award picks, selecting Nikola Jokic (MVP), Jared McCain (Rookie of the Year), and Payton Pritchard (Sixth Man of the Year) as a few of their first-month winners.
- Former NBA big man Tacko Fall has officially finalized a two-year deal with the New Zealand Breakers that will run through the 2025/26 season, per the team. A previous report indicated that Fall would join the Breakers to replace Freddie Gillespie, who left Australia’s National Basketball League to play in the EuroLeague.
Atlantic Notes: McCain, Bona, Quickley, Pritchard
The Sixers fell to 2-9 on Wednesday with their loss to the Cavaliers, but rookie Jared McCain continued to be a bright spot for his team. The Duke product scored career highs of 34 points and 10 assists in the loss, making six of his 13 three-point attempts. As Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer observes, McCain’s 34 points were the most by a rookie in a game this season and they came in his first career start.
“I just attribute [the career night] to my work,” McCain said. “I work so hard, so I feel like I need these games. I’m starting to learn more about being a lead guard. I feel like in college [at Duke], it was more off-ball. So definitely learning the process there, cutting back on turnovers and reading the game a little slower. But then again, I feel like I’m finding my shot, whether it’s midrange, getting to the rim, and obviously shooting the three.”
As we noted Wednesday, McCain has logged 30 or more minutes in each of his last four games. Without Tyrese Maxey, the Sixers are leaning more on the rookie’s guard skills.
“Obviously, another great game for him,” head coach Nick Nurse said. “I think the biggest thing was the 10 assists for me. I know 34 is a huge number. Again, he’s mostly been doing it one way. And to do that you are starting to … create. I felt he did a good job for the most part, getting it out to other people to get some buckets. And that’s pretty fast learning, right?”
As Pompey notes, McCain is one of five Sixers to play in every game, and his 13.5 points per contest rank fourth on the team. He’s making 38.5% of his three-point attempts this season.
We have more from the Atlantic Division:
- Fellow Sixers rookie Adem Bona received his first big minutes on Wednesday against the Cavaliers. Bona produced four points and nine rebounds in 17 minutes, which left him feeling encouraged, Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes. “It felt amazing having the opportunity to do what I do out there,” Bona said. “The coaches trusted me, putting me in the game. That was like a little confidence boost for me, to show the coach I can contribute and help the team.” Bona might not play much this season, but he got this opportunity with Joel Embiid out due to injury management and Andre Drummond sidelined due to an illness. “He should be excited to get his opportunity,” Nurse said. “Let’s see what he does with it.“
- The first anniversary of the trade for Immanuel Quickley is coming up for the Raptors, but he has only played 25 games alongside fellow cornerstone Scottie Barnes, Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca writes. Quickley and Barnes have traded off time on the injured list since the acquisition, and Quickley’s now likely to miss about a month with a UCL injury, Grange notes.
- The four-year, $30MM deal Payton Pritchard signed with the Celtics in 2023 continues to look like a bargain, Brian Robb of MassLive.com writes. Pritchard has been a tremendous factor in the rotation this season, averaging 16.2 points per game while shooting 42.7% from three. His 23 points on Wednesday against Brooklyn helped the Celtics turn an 11-point first-half deficit into a blowout win. “Payton’s been excellent,” teammate Jaylen Brown said. “He’s been great, and that’s what we need. He’s been a superstar in his role. It’s almost 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. We’ve got to keep encouraging and finding him. And at times even playing through him; let Payton run the show. I don’t mind, especially when guys have a role in it. Just have the mindset that we’re a team, and whatever it takes to get it done.“