Payton Pritchard leads Boston in scoring again and Celtics beat 76ers for second time in four days
Boston Celtics' Payton Pritchard, left, drives against Philadelphia 76ers' Jaden Springer during the first half of a preseason NBA basketball game Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2023, in Philadelphia. Credit: AP/Chris Szagola
PHILADELPHIA — Payton Pritchard scored 17 points to lead Boston in scoring for a third straight preseason game and the Celtics beat the Philadelphia 76ers for the second time in four days, 112-101 on Wednesday night.
Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday and Derrick White each had 11 points in the first half, and Pritchard added 10 points to help Boston build a 67-59 lead. Porzingis scored five of Boston's opening seven points.
Pritchard played 24 minutes while Porzingis, Holiday and White did not play after each logged 17 minutes in the first half. Pritchard was 7 of 15 from the field, including 3 of 9 from 3-point range. White, who led the league in blocks by a guard last season, also had three blocks in the first half.
New Sixer Kelly Oubre Jr. scored 18 points with four 3-pointers and Tyrese Maxey added 17 points. Joel Embiid and James Harden again did not play.
Oubre made a corner 3-pointer to give Philadelphia a 28-25 lead following a 10-0 run and he finished the half with 16 points after making all five of his shots, including four 3-pointers. Oubre also had an alley-oop dunk along the baseline during Philadelphia’s 8-0 run to tie it at 72-all early in the third quarter.
Pritchard was coming off a 21-point performance in a 114-107 loss to New York on Monday. He also scored 26 points in a 114-106 win over Philadelphia to begin the preseason on Sunday.
LAKERS 109, KINGS 101
Boston Celtics' Al Horford dunks against the Philadelphia 76ers during the first half of a preseason NBA basketball game Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2023, in Philadelphia. Credit: AP/Chris Szagola
D’Angelo Russell scored 10 of his 21 points in a game-changing third quarter and Los Angeles got past Sacramento in Anaheim to improve to 2-1 in the preseason.
Los Angeles pulled away in the third quarter by scoring 40 points.
Gabe Vincent added 18 points, and Rui Hachimura and Taurean Prince had 13 apiece for the Lakers. Russell also had eight assists. LeBron James and Anthony Davis did not play.
Russell had 11 points in the first half, Prince and Vincent each scored 10, and Hachimura added nine to help the Lakers get within 51-50 at halftime.
Philadelphia 76ers' Tyrese Maxey stands on the court after hitting a 3-point shot against the Boston Celtics during the first half of a preseason NBA basketball Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2023, in Philadelphia. Credit: AP/Chris Szagola
De’Aaron Fox led the Kings (0-2) with 18 points. Domantas Sabonis had 10 points, 16 rebounds and five assists and Harrison Barnes added 15 points. Sacramento was 15 of 50 from distance and shot 39% overall.