Payton Pritchard scores playoff career-high 32 points on Sunday night
Payton Pritchard had one of the best games of his career on Sunday, marking a new career-high of 32 points and coming close to Celtics history.
Three-pointers, mid-range jumpers, layups and a patented buzzer-beater ā all shots that former Oregon Ducks guard Payton Pritchard hit for the Boston Celtics in their 128-96 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs, extending the Celtics' series lead to 3-1. In all, Pritchard finished with a playoff career-high 32 points on 12-of-21 shooting from the field and 6-of-12 shooting from three-point range while adding four rebounds and five assists. He was the leading scorer in the game and came close to making Celtics history, as Kevin McHale holds the Celtics playoff record with 34 points off the bench.
Pritchard came just three points short from breaking the record and two points short of tying it. From the moment that the former Duck checked into the game in the first quarter, he was on fire. His 13 first-quarter points are also a playoff career-high for any quarter, with his running buzzer-beating triple serving as the cherry on top as the Celtics built a 16-point lead after the first stanza.
End of the quarter, who else? Payton Pritchard has 13 PTS in the first. pic.
twitter. com/dtFrnW641Q ā Underdog NBA (@UnderdogNBA) April 26, 2026 It's already been a terrific season for Pritchard, who averaged a career-high 17. 0 points per game in the regular season to go along with 5.