Payton Pritchard Shines as Celtics Bounce Back with Wire-to-Wire Win Over Kings
After a tough loss to the Hawks earlier in the week, the Celtics came into Friday night needing a response-and they didn’t just answer the call, they rang the bell all night long. Boston dominated the Sacramento Kings from start to finish in a convincing 112-93 win at TD Garden, led by a breakout performance from Payton Pritchard.
With Jaylen Brown sidelined due to left hamstring tightness and a right knee contusion, Boston shuffled the starting lineup. Baylor Scheierman stepped into the starting five alongside Pritchard, Derrick White, Sam Hauser, and Neemias Queta. On the other side, the Kings were missing key pieces too-Domantas Sabonis, Keegan Murray, and Russell Westbrook were all out, forcing Sacramento to roll with Dennis Schroder, Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, Precious Achiuwa, and rookie Maxime Raynaud.
The Celtics wasted no time setting the tone. They came out firing, hitting their first four shots and jumping out to a 9-1 lead, forcing a Kings timeout less than two minutes into the game. That early burst was just the beginning of what turned into the Payton Pritchard show.
Pritchard was everywhere in the opening quarter, scoring or assisting on seven of Boston’s first 10 made field goals. He finished the first frame with 11 points and five assists, helping the Celtics build a 40-25 lead. Boston shot a scorching 70.8% from the field in the quarter (17-of-24) and dished out 12 assists as a team.
If there was one thing keeping Sacramento within arm’s reach early on, it was the free throw line. Eleven of their first 28 points came via foul shots-an area that’s been a thorn in the Celtics’ side at times this season. But as the second quarter unfolded, Boston tightened the screws defensively and turned up the tempo.
Pritchard buried a deep three, Scheierman finished in transition, and the Celtics blew the game open. They closed the half on a 25-6 run, taking a commanding 72-46 lead into the break. Pritchard’s first-half stat line looked like something out of a video game: 22 points, 8 assists, 9-of-11 from the field, and 4-of-5 from beyond the arc.
By the middle of the third quarter, Boston’s lead had ballooned to 28 points. Scheierman continued to impress in his spot start, building on his solid outing against Atlanta earlier in the week and finishing the night with 16 points.
But let’s talk about Neemias Queta for a second. The big man has made real strides this season, and Friday night was another example of his growth.
Against his former team, Queta put up 10 points and pulled down 15 rebounds, anchoring the paint with physicality and poise. His rim protection has taken a leap, and he’s showing much better timing and discipline on screens-cutting down on the illegal picks that plagued him in the past.
Right now, he’s arguably the Celtics’ third or fourth most important player, and that’s not hyperbole.
The Kings, meanwhile, struggled to find any rhythm offensively. Queta’s interior presence was a major factor-Sacramento didn’t attempt a single shot at the rim with him on the floor in the first half. That’s a telling stat.
Maxime Raynaud gave the Kings a brief highlight with a buzzer-beater at the end of the third quarter to trim the deficit to 89-66, but Boston never let the lead dip below 20 in the final frame. Pritchard added a few more buckets to finish with 29 points and 8 assists, capping off one of the most complete performances of his career.
Chris Boucher checked in during the final minutes, seeing his first action since late November. He missed his first three-point attempt badly but managed to knock down a buzzer-beater to get on the board.
Boston shot 45% from the field and 38% from three, while holding the Kings to 37% shooting overall and just 32% from deep. It was a wire-to-wire win that felt like a statement: even without Brown, the Celtics have the depth and defensive identity to take care of business.
Next up: a Sunday showdown at home against the Bucks in the NBA Pioneer Classic. Tip-off is set for 3:30 p.m. ET.