Payton Pritchard joins exclusive club with 500th career 3-pointer originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Payton Pritchard isn’t just one of the best 3-point shooters in the NBA this season. He is one of the best marksmen in Boston Celtics history.
Pritchard led the C’s with 27 points on 7-of-15 shooting from deep in Thursday’s 123-99 win over the Detroit Pistons. During the game, he made his 500th 3-pointer, becoming the 10th Celtics player ever to reach that milestone.
Pritchard also became the first player in C history to record at least 25 points, 10 assists and five three-pointers off the bench.
The names surrounding Pritchard on the list above speak volumes about the Oregon product’s three-point power. He will soon pass Avery Bradley (520) for ninth in the 3-pointer leaderboard, and Bradley has played in 413 games for the C’s. Thursday was Pritchard’s 291st game.
Just above Pritchard and Bradley are Al Horford (639) and Larry Bird (649). Suffice it to say, the NBA Sixth Man of the Year frontrunner is in pretty good company.
Pritchard is the odds-on favorite for Sixth Man of the Year with averages of 16.1 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.9 assists while shooting 48.7 percent (43 percent from 3) in 24 games. After Thursday’s win, he shared his thoughts on potentially winning the prestigious award.
“It’s not something I really think about,” he said. “If I’m lucky enough to win, I think that’s a testament to the hard work I’ve put in. I think it just means I’m helping this team come off the bench and do my job at a high level.
“So it’s not something I’m really into. If I don’t win or win, it’s not a make or break thing for me. I’ll continue doing what I’m doing. But yeah, it would be an honor.”
Pritchard will look to stay warm when the C’s visit the Washington Wizards next Sunday. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:00 PM ET on NBC Sports Boston.
