Payton Pritchard, Derrick White make NBA and Boston Celtics history in win over Portland Trail Blazers

Missing 3 starters and with Jaylen Brown struggling, Derrick White and Payton Pritchard both set their career highs for scoring

Payton Pritchard, Derrick White make NBA and Boston Celtics history in win over Portland Trail Blazers

Payton Pritchard, Derrick White (via Imagn)

Despite sitting Jayson Tatum, the Boston Celtics did not miss a beat in their 128-118 win over the Portland Trail Blazers. This was because they had one of the best tandem performances in league history. It came from a pair of players that most NBA teams wouldn’t be building their scouting reports around – Payton Pritchard and Derrick White.

Pritchard and White combined to become the first pair of Boston Celtics teammates to record 40+ points in the same game. The point guard duo also became the first pair of teammates in NBA history to make 9+ three-pointers in the same game. With Finals MVP Jaylen Brown struggling in Tatum’s absence, the Team USA guard and the Sixth Man of the Year favorite set individual career highs in the outing.

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Pritchard had an ultra-efficient 14-of-20 shooting game from the floor, making a whopping 10 of his 14 three-point attempts. The sixth man also made four of his six attempts from inside the arc, adding an efficient interior scoring effort in his final 43-point tally. Pritchard also notched a game-high 10 rebounds against his hometown team.

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White, meanwhile, became the volume shooter on the night for a Celtics team missing three All-Stars in Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis and Tatum. White made 14 of his 26 attempts from the field, including nine of his 17 three-point shots. His ability to shoulder the scoring came in clutch for the Cs as Brown managed a paltry 30% shooting night (7-of-23 from the floor for 18 points total).

The Celtics made 23 of their 54 three-point attempts on the night, with 19 of them coming via their guard duo. They needed the pair of them to go off, given the horrendous shooting form displayed by their other specialists. Sam Hauser made only one of his eight attempts from downtown. Brown missed all four of his attempts from downtown, capping a terribly inefficient game for the Finals MVP.

Payton Pritchard leads NBA 6th Man of the Year odds

Pritchard has been leading the 6th Man of the Year voting odds for most of the 2024-25 NBA season. The former Oregon Duck entered the season as one of the league’s best sixth men and has continued to build his case for the award. Pritchard currently sits as a -130 favorite for the award, and should likely be able to bag the honor barring injuries.

The Celtics were able to sign Pritchard to one of the best value-for-money deals in the league currently. The 4-year, $30,000,000 contract will be worth its weight in gold when the Celtics continue to enter the luxury tax as repeaters in the midst of their latest purple patch in terms of league standings, what with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown both making 35% of the cap for a few years to come.

Having a bench player with the ability to facilitate better than the likes of Austin Reaves while shooting better than everyone in the league save for Stephen Curry is one of the reasons why the Celtics are able to contend on an annual basis. They do have stars studding their top six. But its the fringe players like Sam Hauser and Pritchard who make a real difference to their contention window.