The Boston Celtics have made a behavior of setting offensive information over the previous a number of years. Their 122.2 offensive ranking a season in the past is the very best any group has ever posted over a full season. They’re on monitor to interrupt information for each 3-point makes an attempt and 3-pointers made this season. The complete Joe Mazzulla period has been an offensive showcase, however Wednesday might need been essentially the most spectacular efficiency they’ve produced in that total span.
Jayson Tatum, Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis all sat towards the Portland Trail Blazers, but Boston nonetheless pulled out a 128-118 victory over one of many NBA’s hottest groups. They did so due to the exceptional capturing show from Payton Pritchard and Derrick White. Pritchard drilled 10 3-pointers whereas White added 9, giving them a mixed complete of 19. That units a brand new NBA file for many 3-pointers made by a pair of teammates. Whereas different mixtures of teammates had reached 18 3s earlier than, there had by no means been a pair of teammates to every make a minimum of 9 of them in a sport. White and Pritchard have now accomplished so.
NBA historical past is sweet, however when you think about Boston’s place inside it, group information are almost as spectacular. White and Pritchard set just a few of these as nicely. Their 84 factors are essentially the most any two Celtics have ever mixed to attain, and they’re the primary set of Boston teammates ever to high 40 factors apiece as Pritchard poured in 43 and White added 41.
On high of that, they turned the primary pair of teammates in league historical past to attain high 40 factors and with a minimum of seven 3-pointers every.
These had been the key information set by the pair of them, however Pritchard achieved some historical past of his personal. Solely three gamers have ever scored 40 factors, made 10 3s and pulled in 10 rebounds in an NBA sport. You will not be shocked to listen to that James Harden and Damian Lillard had been the primary two. The third is now Pritchard, who’s the primary participant ever to take action off of the bench.
Solely six gamers have had 40-point, 10-rebound, five-assist video games this season. The primary 5 are All-Stars: Tatum, Paolo Banchero, Nikola Jokić, Luka Dončić and Giannis Antetokounmpo. The sixth now’s Pritchard.
The Celtics have not been fairly as dominant offensively this season as they had been final. They’ve fallen all the way in which right down to No. 3 on the offensive leaderboard, for instance, however Wednesday was proof of simply how harmful this group nonetheless is. Even with three starters out, the Celtics have sufficient firepower to set information. That ought to terrify each group they face within the postseason, when they’ll presumably be again at full energy.
