TD Garden: Pritchard’s 28-Point Explosion Leads Celtics Past Bulls

Payton Pritchard scored 19 points in the third quarter on Monday night at TD Garden, nearly matching the Chicago Bulls’ total output for the entire period. The Celtics guard finished the game with a season-high 28 points, shooting 10-of-16 from the field and 7-of-10 from beyond the arc. His performance helped Boston secure a 134-99 victory over the visitors.

Pritchard, who serves as the team’s sixth man, added four assists and two steals in 22 minutes of play. During those minutes, the Celtics outscored the Bulls by 22 points. He was one of four Boston bench players to record a plus-20 or better rating in the win, joining Sam Hauser, Neemias Queta, and Hugo Gonzalez.

Head coach Joe Mazzulla noted that Pritchard’s scoring efficiency elevates the team’s overall performance. “When he does what he does tonight, it makes us even a better team,” Mazzulla said. Pritchard attributed the performance to finding rhythm after a slow start to the season. He had been held to four points on 1-of-5 shooting in the previous Friday’s win against the New York Knicks.

Jayson Tatum led the Celtics starters with 21 points on 7-of-17 shooting, along with seven rebounds and six assists. Paul George struggled early with turnovers but finished with 16 points. The Celtics limited Chicago to 39% shooting and forced 25 turnovers, converting them into 39 points. Boston held a 66-54 lead at halftime after a strong second-half surge by Tatum, who scored eight points in the final 71 seconds of the first half.

Hugo Gonzalez provided a key boost for Boston’s bench. The second-year wing recorded 13 points, five rebounds, and one block while playing 24 minutes. He finished with a plus-34 rating. Mazzulla praised Gonzalez’s impact, stating that his performance showed what the player is capable of.

The win marked the first back-to-back of the season for the 2-1 Celtics. Mike Conley made his Celtics debut in the fourth quarter, going 2-for-2 from deep. First-round pick Chris Cenac Jr. also made his NBA debut, hitting a three-pointer on his first touch. The team is set to host the 0-3 Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.