Celtics beat 76ers 114-106, Pritchard leads Boston after the new deal

Payton Pritchard signed his new deal with Boston Celtics and celebrated it, scoring 26 points to help his team beat the Philadelphia 76ers 114-106 on Sunday in the preseason opener for both teams.

Pritchard shot 9 for 14, including 6 for 11 on 3-pointers, and had four assists in 23 minutes for the Celtics. Alongside him Jaylen Brown added another 19 points on 7-for-10 shooting, while new signing Kristaps Porzingis scored 17 and Jayson Tatum had 13 points and 10 rebounds for Boston.

Payton Pritchard took over in the fourth quarter Sunday night, helping us start our preseason off right with a win over Philly.https://t.co/olf4k6mh6h

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) October 9, 2023

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Tyrese Maxey was the best on court for Philly, finishing with 24 points and four assists to lead the 76ers. Jaden Springer had 14 points, Tobias Harris added 13 points and seven rebounds, and Patrick Beverley scored 12.

Reigning NBA MVP Joel Embiid did not play for Philadelphia, and neither did James Harden — who is still pushing for a trade, but the deadline is fast approaching and a deal is looking more and more unlikely for him.