BOSTON — The Boston Celtics needed somebody to snap them out of a slow, sloppy game against the Chicago Bulls on Monday night. That somebody was point guard Payton Pritchard, who recorded a game-high 28 points off the bench during a 134-99 win at TD Garden.
Pritchard notched 19 points in the third quarter alone, which nearly tied the Bulls' 21-point total in that frame. The 2025 Sixth Man of the Year cashed 7 of his 10 attempts from deep and wasn't fazed by the various defenders thrown at him. His third-quarter barrage gifted the Celtics a 30-point lead heading into the fourth, and Boston didn't look back.
As for the rest of the Celtics, star forward Jayson Tatum finished with 23 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists in a quiet yet effective game.
Celtics wings Sam Hauser and Hugo González added 11 points and 13 points, respectively.
Since Boston held a significant lead in the second half, first-year Celtic Mike Conley was able to make his debut for the Green Team. The 39-year-old logged 6 points (via two triples) in 7 minutes of action. On the other end of the age spectrum, 19-year-old rookie Chris Cenac Jr. also debuted for the Celtics with 3 points and 1 rebound in 4 minutes.
The Bulls were led by 2026 All-Star Norman Powell, but his 20 points and 4 steals weren't nearly enough. Chicago gave Boston a whopping 39 points off of 25 turnovers while Boston allowed just 17 points on the same amount of turnovers.
Following the 35-point drubbing of the now 1-3 Bulls, the Celtics are 2-1 on the young season. They'll see the Bulls again on Friday night at TD Garden. However, before then, Boston has to complete the second leg of a back-to-back and take on the winless Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday night.
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This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Payton Pritchard buries Bulls in 134-99 Celtics win
