Unlike most of his teammates on Wednesday night, Boston Celtics point guard Payton Pritchard didn't light up the Phoenix Suns. However, he did just enough in the 132-102 blowout win to accomplish something only three other Celtics have.
After the first quarter of Boston's seventh consecutive win, Pritchard reached 1,000 points off the bench for the 2024-25 season. Hall of Famer Kevin McHale, NBA journeyman Ricky Davis, and current Washington Wizards guard Malcolm Brogdon are the only other former Green Teamers to achieve the same feat, per Celtics Stats.
McHale received two Sixth Man of the Year awards four decades ago and Brogdon captured one during his only season with the Celtics in 2023. Pritchard is hoping to follow in their footsteps, as he has the numbers to become just the fourth player in franchise history to take home the John Havlicek Trophy.
Could Payton Pritchard actually win Sixth Man of the Year?
Although Pritchard finished with seven points off the pine and made just three of his 10 attempts from the field in Phoenix, those kinds of off nights are rare for the fifth-year Celtic. In fact, prior to Wednesday, he scored in double figures in six straight games.
That helps explain Pritchard's monstrous numbers throughout the 2024-25 campaign. He's currently averaging a career-high 14.2 points per game while shooting an impressive 46.6% from the floor. The Oregon native is also shooting a career-high 41.3% from deep despite his increased 3-point volume.
Speaking of triples, Pritchard has netted a whopping 237 of them in 72 games, enough for the fourth-most in a single season by a Celtic. The three guys ahead of him are all starters, including Celtics guard Derrick White, who is now five triples shy of breaking the franchise record.
Compared to the rest of the NBA, Pritchard has the fifth-most 3-point makes as of Thursday. Every person in front of him has attempted at least 625 triples, while he's only at 574 shots from beyond the arc. Simply put, Pritchard is having a historic season that may culminate in the ultimate recognition for a bench player.
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The biggest threat to his Sixth Man of the Year campaign is arguably Detroit Pistons sharp-shooter Malik Beasley. The first-year Piston is averaging 16.2 points per outing and shooting a stellar 42.1% from 3-point land.
Yet, Pritchard has the advantage in blocks, rebounds (despite being 6-foot-1), assists, and overall field goal percentage. And, perhaps most importantly, the Celtics standout has only started one game out of his 72 appearances. Meanwhile, Beasley is up to 15 starts in 73 games.
After scorching the Pistons with 27 points in a mid-December drubbing, Pritchard told the media he isn't living or dying by his push for Sixth Man of the Year. That doesn't mean the reigning NBA champion wouldn't love to win it, though.
“It’s not something I really think about,” he said of the award. “If I'm fortunate enough to win, I guess [it's] a testament to the hard work I put in. It just means that I've helped my team coming off the bench and I'm doing my job at a high level…If I win or don't win, it's not make or break for me. I'm gonna continue with what I'm doing. But yeah, it'd be an honor.”
Regardless of whether or not Pritchard earns some hardware, the 54-19 Celtics are focused on a bigger trophy. The C's already seized their 18th Larry O'Brien in franchise history last season, but they're hoping to become the first back-to-back champions since the Golden State Warriors seven years ago.
Pritchard, who was once an afterthought in Beantown, is now essential to the Celtics' quest for basketball domination.
