By Canadian Press

Pritchard nets extension, leads Celtics over 76ers in NBA pre-season opener

Oct 8, 2023 | 10:57 PM

BOSTON — Payton Pritchard scored 26 points after signing a four-year, $30 million contract extension, and the Boston Celtics beat the Philadelphia 76ers 114-106 on Sunday in the pre-season opener for both NBA teams.

Pritchard shot 9-for-14, including 6-for-11 on 3-pointers, and had four assists in 23 minutes for the Celtics.

ESPN first reported Pritchard’s extension, and the Celtics’ guard said after the game he has signed the deal.

“When I signed it, it was almost like a relief, a feeling of being secure,” Pritchard said. “That was kind of my mindset toward it. I wanted to lock something in.”

Jaylen Brown scored 19 points on 7-for-10 shooting, Kristaps Porzingis scored 17 and Jayson Tatum had 13 points and 10 rebounds for Boston.

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Tyrese Maxey finished 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 has been seeking a trade.

Elsewhere in the NBA on Sunday:

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BUCKS 105 BULLS 102

Marjon Beauchamp finished with 18 points and eight rebounds to lead host Milwaukee in the teams’ pre-season opener.

Giannis Antetokounmpo sat out for the Bucks, but his older brother Thanasis Antetokounmpo totalled 14 points, five rebounds and two blocks in 21 minutes.

Malik Beasley scored 13 points and Brook Lopez scored 11 points in 12 minutes for the Bucks.

Coby White had 14 points, six rebounds and six assists to pace the Bulls, playing a team-high 23 minutes. Patrick Williams scored 13 points for the Bulls, who used all 20 of their available players. Only guard Lonzo Ball, who will miss the season with knee issues, didn’t play.

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SUNS 130 PISTONS 126 (OT)

Detroit coach Monty Williams’ new team fell to his old team, after Phoenix wasted a 20-point lead entering the fourth quarter but won in overtime.

Ausar Thompson, the fifth overall pick in this year’s draft, hit a 3-pointer with 7.1 seconds left in regulation as the Pistons outscored the Suns 38-18 in the final quarter to force OT tied at 122-all.

Kevin Durant scored 10 of his 12 points in the first quarter as Phoenix jumped out to a 46-29 lead.

Grayson Allen made three 3-pointers and scored 18 points to lead the Suns. Chimezie Metu had 14 points, while Devin Booker scored 12 in 15 minutes. Bradley Beal and Saben Lee added 11 points apiece, while Yuta Watanabe scored 10.

Marvin Bagley III led Detroit with 25 points. Thompson had 12 points, 10 rebounds and six assists. Jaden Ivey scored 15 and Cade Cunningham added 12 points and six assists.

Williams was fired by the Suns after last season. He accepted a six-year contract from the Pistons.

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GRIZZLIES 127 PACERS 122 (OT)

Jake LaRavia scored the final five points of overtime to rally Memphis over visiting Indiana.

LaRavia, who scored 15 points, hit a jumper with 1:13 left to play in the extra period to give the Grizzlies a 124-122 lead. He added a three-point play with 5.1 seconds left to wrap up the win. Jaren Jackson Jr. led the way with 18 points and five blocked shots. Desmond Bane scored 17 with four assists. Derrick Rose scored 13 on 6-for-8 shooting in 14 minutes.

Jarace Walker, the eighth overall pick in this year’s draft and acquired in a trade with the Wizards, led Indiana with 19 points. He opened the extra period with a four-point play. Bennedict Mathurin had 14 points of his 18 points in the first half as the Pacers took a 59-56 lead into halftime. T.J. McConnell scored all 11 of his points before intermission. First-rounder Ben Sheppard scored 15.

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JAZZ 101 CLIPPERS 96

Kris Dunn made all seven of his shots, including a 3-pointer, scoring 15 points to lead Utah over Los Angeles in Honolulu.

Talen Horton-Tucker had 13 points and six rebounds for the Jazz, who outscored the Clippers 26-16 in the third quarter to turn a seven-point halftime deficit into a 69-66 lead. 

Lauri Markkanen added 10 points and eight boards. Keyonte George, the 16th overall pick in this year’s draft, scored 10 with five assists, but he made just 2 of 9 shots — 1-of-6 from beyond the arc.

Bones Hyland led the Clippers with 18 points. He shot 7 for 8 from inside the arc but missed all six of his 3s. Kawhi Leonard was the only other Clipper to reach double figures, scoring 11 in 15 minutes.

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RAPTORS 112 KINGS 99

Gary Trent Jr. scored 22 points to lead Toronto over Sacramento in Vancouver, B.C.

Trent made 7-of-12 shots with three 3-pointers for the Raptors. Scottie Barnes contributed 15 points, seven rebounds and four assists in 18 minutes. O.G Anunoby had 14 points, while Chris Boucher and Jalen McDaniels scored 11 apiece. Gradey Dick, the 13th overall pick in this year’s draft, had five points, three rebounds and two steals in 14 minutes.

Sasha Vezenkov scored 12 points in 11 minutes to lead the Kings. Keegan Murray and Harrison Barnes both scored 11.

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

The Associated Press