Pritchard, White Shatter Records, Make Celtics History Against Trail Blazers!

On a recent Wednesday night at TD Garden, the Boston Celtics emerged victorious over the Portland Trail Blazers, a win propelled by the impressive efforts of Payton Pritchard and Derrick White.

This guard duo made history for the franchise during the game. Pritchard achieved a personal best by scoring 43 points, including 10 three-pointers. White matched the high level of play, scoring 41 points—also a career high—and making nine three-pointers. Together, they scored a combined 84 points, marking the first time in Celtics history that two players have scored at least 40 points in the same game.

Given the storied history of this NBA team, which includes a roster of some of the league’s legendary players, this achievement is particularly notable. It is even more remarkable considering that Pritchard was not a starter but came off the bench that evening.

With Jayson Tatum absent from the lineup, Pritchard and White seized the opportunity to take on more offensive responsibilities. They excelled, combining for 19 three-pointers on 33 attempts, setting a record for the most threes made by a duo in a single game.

What the renowned duo of Steph Curry and Klay Thompson never achieved, White and Pritchard have accomplished.

Pritchard’s 43 points from the bench are the 18th highest single-game score by a substitute in NBA history. This record is currently held by Jamal Crawford, who scored 51 points in 2019 while playing for the Phoenix Suns. This achievement by Pritchard is second only to Larry Bird’s 47-point performance off the bench against the Milwaukee Bucks in 1985, making it one of the top scoring games by a Celtics reserve.

More NBA on Sports Illustrated