Celtics' Payton Pritchard makes NBA history with most made three-pointers off bench
Boston Celtics point guard Payton Pritchard made NBA history on Saturday night as he continued his march toward the Sixth Man of the Year award. When it comes to hitting threes off the bench, no one has ever been better than Pritchard.
While Kristaps Porzingis' return was the main attraction for the Celtics in the team's 115-113 win over the Nets in Brooklyn, Pritchard broke the NBA's record for most made threes off the bench in a season. Boston's reserve guard connected on five of his eight threes on the night, giving him 220 for the season -- all of which have come off the pine.
Those 220 made three-pointers beat out Wayne Ellington's old record of 218, which he set during the 2017-18 NBA season. Pritchard is now just one of six NBA players to make at least 200 threes off the bench in a single season, a group that also includes Terrence Ross, Eric Gordon, Jordan Clarkson, and Malik Beasley.
Pritchard has the third-most three-pointers made on the three-happy Celtics, behind Jayson Tatum (227) and Derrick White (225). But he's racked up his makes in 426 fewer minutes than Tatum, and 285 fewer minuets than White.
Pritchard's still got 14 games remaining in the regular season to add to his record-setting campaign.
Payton Pritchard's Sixth Man of the Year resume
Pritchard has come off the bench in all 67 games for the Celtics this season, but it hasn't stopped him from putting up huge number for Boston.
Pritchard leads all NBA reserves with 947 points scored this season, good for a career-best 14.1 points per contest for the fifth-year guard. He also leads NBA reserves in field goals made (332), three-pointers made (220, which is also seventh-best overall in the NBA) and attempted (526), and plus-minus (348). He also ranks third among NBA reserves with 226 assists and is tied for fifth with 60 steals on the season.
Pritchard remains the favorite to win the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year award, which is now named the John Havlicek Trophy after the Boston Hall of Famer. Malcolm Brogdon was the last Celtics player to claim the hardware n 2023, while Kevin McHale won the award twice (1984 and 1985) and Bill Walton won in 1986.
Pritchard will likely join McHale and Brogdon in another exclusive group in Celtics history, as he's 56 points away from scoring 1,000 or more points off the bench in a season. McHale, Brogdon, and Ricky Davis are the only players to accomplish that feat in a Celtics uniform.
