Boston Celtics' Payton Pritchard Breaks Record With Scoring Outburst

Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard is at his best at the Ball Don't Stop Pro-Am in Victoria, British Columbia, in the offseason.

Pritchard dropped 68 points on Thursday, Aug. 7, surpassing his previous record of 61 points he had last summer. He showed off his ball control, consistent shot-making, and overall body control when attacking the basket in front of a new attendance record of over 2,300 fans inside the University of Victoria's Centre for Athletics, Recreation and Special Abilities.

He was named the Most Valuable Player of the Ball Don't Stop Pro-Am.

May 14, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard (11) controls the ball while New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) defends in the second half during game five of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images | Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

Pritchard is coming off his most dominant season in the NBA, winning the Sixth Man of the Year Award while averaging 14.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 3.5 assists to go along with just 1.0 turnovers per game. Among all bench players in the NBA, Pritchard finished No. 1 in these categories during the 2024-25 campaign:

1,144 total points

409 field goals made

255 three-pointers made

+430 plus/minus

The lead guard for Boston's second unit was also No. 3 in assists (279) and No. 5 in steals (70) among the league's best. While playing 80 of the 82 regular season games, Pritchard has been an all-around talent for coach Joe Mazzulla.

Pritchard became only the third Celtic ever to score 1,000+ points off the bench. Boston forward/center Kevin McHale did it three times, and guard Ricky Davis did it once. Given the history of the 18-time world champion franchise (most in the NBA), that stat sounds even more impressive.

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Feb 21, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors forward Chris Boucher (25) looks on against the Miami Heat at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Sousa-Imagn Images | Kevin Sousa-Imagn Images

Pritchard Reunites With Former Teammate Chris Boucher

The pair of Oregon Ducks were invaluable in helping lead Dana Altman's program to the 2017 Final Four and now, will be teammates once again, but on a professional level. 6-9 forward Chris Boucher agreed to a one-year, $3.3 million contract with the Boston Celtics, according to ESPN's Sham Charania. After spending seven seasons with the Toronto Raptors from 2018-2025, Boucher's deal with his new organization will be guaranteed.

Boucher was the last remaining member of Toronto's 2019 NBA Finals group that upset the Golden State Warriors. He also won the previous 2018 NBA Finals as a member of the Golden State organization.

This past season in 2024-25, Boucher averaged 10.0 points on a shooting split of 49.2 free throw percentage, 36.6 three-point percentage, and 78.2 free throw percentage for the Raptors. He also logged 4.5 rebounds in 17.2 minutes per game as a member of the second unit.

He leaves Toronto as the franchise's all-time leader in points (3,256), double-doubles (49), rebounds (1,897), blocks (347), three-pointers made (334), field goals made (1,518), minutes played (6,546), and games played (383) when coming off the bench. Boucher is also second in steals with 176.

This is a necessary addition for the Boston organization with forward Jayson Tatum out for the foreseeable future with a ruptured Achilles. Boucher should jump into a significant starting role in the Celtics' frontcourt in place of the six-time NBA All-Star at the four position, sometimes at the five.