BOS 124, CHI 105: BOS Handles CHI, Pritchard Stars
Tommy Flanagan
Journeyman Electrician · Boston Celtics fan
Pritchard Goes Absolutely Bonkers, Celtics Bounce Bulls 124-105
Look, I'm not gonna lie to you. When Payton Pritchard dropped 26 points on 11-18 shooting with 8 assists last night, I had to check the box score twice. This is the same guy who's averaging 17.2/4.2/5.3 all season. Then he goes off for +8.8 points above his normal output and suddenly my entire Tuesday night makes sense.
The Celtics handled the Bulls 124-105, and honestly, it wasn't even close in the second half. Boston absolutely took over, and the fantasy relevant guys had a field day. Let's talk about who mattered and who didn't.
Top Fantasy Performers
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Payton Pritchard | 51.0 | 45.0 | 26/5/8 | 17.2/4.2/5.3 | +8.8 |
| Nikola Vučević | 45.0 | 41.7 | 19/11/3 | 16.7/9.0/3.7 | +2.3 |
| Jordan Walsh | 49.0 | 41.2 | 16/6/2 | 5.6/4.3/0.9 | +10.4 |
| Derrick White | 45.0 | 39.3 | 9/4/9 | 17.2/4.4/5.6 | -8.2 |
| Matas Buzelis | 41.0 | 37.6 | 15/8/4 | 15.2/5.4/2.1 | -0.2 |
| Rob Dillingham | 36.0 | 33.7 | 16/1/7 | 4.1/1.4/1.8 | +11.9 |
| Jaylen Brown | 32.0 | 32.8 | 24/4/4 | 29.3/6.9/4.7 | -5.3 |
| Patrick Williams | 39.0 | 32.6 | 12/3/6 | 6.9/2.9/1.3 | +5.1 |
| Collin Sexton | 22.0 | 23.1 | 15/3/1 | 14.4/2.0/3.6 | +0.6 |
| Jaden Ivey | 25.0 | 22.6 | 10/3/4 | 8.5/2.5/1.8 | +1.5 |
The Pritchard Explosion
Payton Pritchard going for 45 Yahoo fantasy points is absolutely a "wait, did that just happen" moment. He shot 61% from the field, hit three threes, and distributed the rock on a night when the Celtics' offense was humming. The thing is, this isn't completely out of left field. He's a bench guard who can go off in garbage time or when the Celtics need offense. But 26 points? That's a ceiling game, not a floor.
Here's the real talk: I love the C's, but Pritchard's a 17-point scorer who occasionally gets hot. Don't start treating him like a consistent 23-25 guy because of one great night. That said, if you're in a deep league and he's sitting there, grab him. Against bad defenses or when Boston's cruising, he can put up numbers like last night.
Jordan Walsh also went way off the reservation with +10.4 above his season average. The kid is a 5.6-point-per-game guy who suddenly dropped 16 with 3 steals and 2 blocks. This is what happens when a deep bench guy gets 29 minutes in a blowout. Cool for tonight, probably not a waiver wire gem because his role isn't changing long term.
Where the Celtics Got It Right
Nikola Vučević did his thing, 19/11/3 on solid efficiency. Nothing crazy, just a professional performance from the big man. He's basically been doing this all season, so hitting his number wasn't a surprise.
Derrick White, though. All-Defensive guy posted a -8.2 pts versus his average. 9 points, 9 assists in 29 minutes. He was pushing the offense more than scoring, which is fine for the Celtics' system but not great for fantasy. The steals and blocks (2 each) saved him from total disaster, but this is what happens when you're a 17-point scorer and go 3-9 from the field.
The Letdown No One Wants to Admit
Jaylen Brown. I gotta talk about my guy here. 24 points on 9-20 shooting sounds fine on the surface, but he pulled a -5.3 relative to his 29.3-point average. Four boards, four assists, zero steals, zero blocks. For a 28-minute game, that's the kinda line that leaves you wanting more. Brown's been balling all season, and one off night doesn't change anything, but if you're counting on him for 30-plus in fantasy, nights like this happen. That's just basketball.
The Bulls' Bright Spots
Matas Buzelis (37.6 Yahoo FP) did his best to keep Chicago competitive. 15/8/4 with a couple blocks, shooting 46% from deep. The kid can play, but he's in a losing effort on a team that just got cooked. You feel for the guy.
Rob Dillingham was legitimately impressive off the bench, going 16/7 with 3 steals. That's a +11.9 above his season average of 4.1 points per game. Here's the thing though, his season average is 4.1 PPG. He just played 30 minutes in a blowout. This is not sustainable. He's a deep bench guy who had one good night. Don't add him thinking he's cracked the rotation.
What This Means Going Forward
The Celtics are a really good team, and when they get rolling, basically anyone can catch a hot night. The thing that matters for fantasy is figuring out who's getting minutes moving forward. Pritchard at 33 minutes is interesting, but I need to see this again before I'm buying him as a consistent contributor. White stays a must-own for his defensive upside and playmaking, even on nights he doesn't score.
For the Bulls, it's the same old story. Sexton (23.1 Yahoo FP) put up points, but Chicago's just not good enough. Patrick Williams with 6 assists is a nice sign that he's being asked to do more, and that +5.1 versus his average suggests the role's expanding slightly. If he becomes a 30-minute guy, that's worth monitoring.
Bottom line: Great night for Boston, bad night for Chicago. The fantasy relevant guys mostly delivered what you'd expect, with a couple outliers who went way above their ceiling. Don't panic on anyone, don't add anyone you haven't seen before, and enjoy watching the Celtics roll. That's the real story here.