Payton

Pritchard

Even with Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla making three changes to his starting lineup for Game 7, Pritchard remained in his usual reserve role. A 2-of-7 night from beyond the arc prevented him from being as impactful as he can be, especially when the three-pointers are falling. Saturday night was a disappointing conclusion to what was, overall, an excellent season for Pritchard. His production picked up once he moved back into the sixth-man role, and that should be Pritchard’s responsibility for 2026-27 with a healthy Jayson Tatum in the fold. Pritchard offers a top-75 fantasy floor, but the ceiling is somewhat limited.

Similar to several other Celtics players, Prtichard struggled with his shot in Game 6. He was particularly cold from beyond the arc, which is where half of his field-goal attempts came from. Poor three-point shooting aside, he actually performed offensively, with his five assists being the most for Boston on the night. He’ll likely come off the bench on Saturday and look to provide a spark in Game 7.

On a day when starter Derrick White (6/6/3/1/2 with two three-pointers) attempted just five shots, Pritchard stepped up with one of the best outings of his postseason career. The 32 points, a playoff career-high for Pritchard, were two shy of the Celtics franchise record for most in a playoff game by a reserve, which Kevin McHale still holds. While he made too many starts to qualify for NBA Sixth Man of the Year honors, Pritchard remains one of the best reserve scorers in the league. And he reminded Philadelphia of that in Game 4. The Celtics will look to close out the series on Tuesday night.

All of Pritchard’s 15 points came on his five three-pointers. None were bigger than the one to beat the shot clock and put the Celtics up by five with less than a minute and a half remaining in regulation. Pritchard was +16 in 33 minutes on the night.

Pritchard was initially listed as doubtful and has now officially been ruled out for this game. Boston is already locked in as the No. 2 seed, so Pritchard will get some extra rest. Ron Harper Jr. should take on a large role with Pritchard out.

The Celtics, who secured the No. 2 seed in the East with Friday’s win over the Pelicans, will sit most of their key rotation players on Sunday. Pritchard and Hauser not playing would free up additional minutes for some of Boston’s rarely used perimeter reserves, including Ron Harper Jr. As for Vučević, his absence would open a spot in the rotation for Amari Williams.

Pritchard came off the bench, but led the Celtics with 30 minutes played. The 28-year-old point guard had 21 points on 14 attempts from the field, five three-pointers and 10 assists. Pritchard provided seventh-round per game value this season. After another great year, he’s a candidate to sit out the Celtics’ last game on Sunday since they’ve now clinched the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference.

With no Jaylen Brown, the Celtics were going to need others to step up offensively on Thursday. Unsurprisingly, Pritchard answered the call, recording his first 20-point game since March 29 against the Hornets. He scored eight of his points in the third quarter, helping the Celtics erase a 12-point deficit and take a two-point lead into the fourth quarter. Pritchard’s 23 points weren’t enough to help Boston take home the victory, but they’re still well-positioned to be the No. 2 seed in the East.

Thursday’s game is the first of two in as many nights for the Celtics, who are one win away from locking up the two-seed for the Eastern Conference playoffs. While White sitting would likely push Payton Pritchard into the starting lineup, Jordan Walsh and Hugo González would have more prominent roles if Brown can’t play.

No surprises here after Brown and White sat out the first leg of Boston’s back-to-back set. Brown and White should reclaim their spots in the starting lineup which will mean less run for Baylor Scheierman and Payton Pritchard.