BROOKLYN, NEW YORK – Payton Pritchard entered Saturday night leading all NBA reserves in points (925), made field goals (325), made three-pointers (215), and plus-minus (+342). He was third in assists (223) and 16th in rebounds.
All year, Pritchard has had a stranglehold on the Sixth Man of the Year race. And in Saturday’s win over the Brooklyn Nets, he added another feather in his cap, breaking the NBA record for most three-pointers made off the bench in a single season, surpassing Wayne Ellington’s previous record of 218, set in the 2017-18 season. With 14 games remaining, Pritchard now sits at 220 made threes.
“It just means I did my job off the bench at a high level,” Pritchard said on reaching the historic milestone. “Hopefully, I can continue to do that.”
All year, Pritchard has had a stranglehold on the Sixth Man of the Year race. And in Saturday’s win over the Brooklyn Nets, he added another feather in his cap, breaking the NBA record for most three-pointers made off the bench in a single season, surpassing Wayne Ellington’s previous record of 218, set in the 2017-18 season. With 14 games still remaining, Pritchard now sits at 220 made threes.
Pritchard is one of only six players in NBA history to make at least 200 three-pointers off the bench in a single season, joining Ellington, Terrence Ross, Eric Gordon, Jordan Clarkson, and Malik Beasley, who also hit the mark this season.
Earlier this season, the 27-year-old surpassed Eddie House’s record for the most three-pointers made in a single season by a Celtic (151). Since last season, Pritchard has held the record for most three-pointers off the bench by a Celtic in franchise history since last February.
“Congrats to him. Anytime you hold a record in the NBA — regardless of whatever it is — it’s special. I’m happy for him,” Jayson Tatum said after Pritchard broke the NBA record on Saturday night. “He works really, really hard. Everybody knows that. His ability to stretch the floor and take over in stretches, sometimes, really helps us. It helped us win a championship. We’re very, very lucky to have him.”
The fifth-year pro has come off the bench in all 67 games he has played this season, yet still ranks seventh in total three-pointers made. His game-high five treys on Saturday night marked his 21st game this season with five or more three-pointers, the fourth most in the NBA off the bench. It’s the most by a Celtic off the bench in franchise history and the second-most in NBA history, behind only Beasley’s 22. It also marked his 20th game of the season with at least 20 points off the bench, the most in the NBA.
Pritchard’s 220 threes are more than the entire bench units of the New York Knicks (209) and Denver Nuggets (211) combined. He’s only seven makes behind the Houston Rockets bench unit (227).
“He just has the ability to impact the game in so many ways,” said head coach Joe Mazzulla. “He just continues to get” better and better. His competitive nature and work ethic are unreal. That’s an awesome thing. It takes a special person to fulfill that role, and he takes pride in it and does it every day.”
Pritchard said postgame that individual honors or awards weren’t on his radar; instead, he was focused on self-improvement. However, with that hard work, the accolades have followed, and they will almost certainly culminate in a Sixth Man of the Year Award this spring.
“Obviously, confidence is a big thing. Just trusting the work that I put in,” Pritchard said when asked how he’s taken a leap this season. “There is still more to come. I can get better and better from here.”
Pritchard needs 53 more points to become just the fourth Celtic in franchise history to score 1,000 points off the bench in a season, joining Kevin McHale (who did it three times), Ricky Davis, and Malcolm Brogdon. If he is named Sixth Man of the Year, Pritchard will join Brogdon (2023), McHale (1984, 1985), and Bill Walton (1986) as the fourth Celtic to bring home the John Havlicek Trophy.
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