Celtics’ Payton Pritchard sees championship silver lining in Game 7 loss to 76ers

The Boston Celtics’ 56-win season came to an end Saturday night, falling 109-100 to the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 7 of their first-round playoff series at TD Garden after a late lineup shake-up caused by Jayson Tatum’s knee injury. With Tatum unavailable, head coach Joe Mazzulla started Jaylen Brown and Derrick White alongside Ron Harper Jr., Baylor Scheierman, and Luka Garza, a group that had not started together during the season.

Philadelphia opened the game with a 9-0 run and led by as many as 15 in the first quarter, but Boston responded with an 18-4 run in the second quarter and took a 37-36 lead on a Payton Pritchard three-pointer. The 76ers regrouped and entered halftime ahead 55-50 before extending the margin to 18 in the third quarter. The Celtics again fought back, cutting the deficit to one with under two minutes remaining, but went scoreless from the field in the closing stretch and fell 109-100. Boston became the first team in franchise history to lose a series after leading 3-1, dropping to 32-1 in such situations.

Speaking after the game, a dejected Pritchard, who finished with 13 points on 5-of-13 shooting, including 2-of-7 from three and 1-of-1 from the line, along with five rebounds, seven assists, and a steal, shifted the focus beyond the defeat, describing the 2025-26 season as a foundation for future success, similar to the years that eventually led to a championship.

“Just because you don’t win a championship one year doesn’t mean it didn’t build for the next championship,” said Pritchard. “So, when we won Banner 18, four years before that, we lost four straight — lost to Miami, lost in the finals. So those might have been disappointing years, but maybe those led to the championship. So, that’s how I look at it.”

Asked (a very visible disappointed) Payton Pritchard how he balances processing a 56-win season with this outcome:

“Just because you don't win a championship one year doesn't mean it didn't build for the next championship. So, when we won Banner 18, four years before that, we… pic.twitter.com/Ow3sxKhSfw

— Noa Dalzell (@NoaDalzell) May 3, 2026

Philadelphia was led by Joel Embiid with 34 points, 12 rebounds, and six assists, while Tyrese Maxey finished with 30 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists. Embiid’s performance made him the first player in NBA history to score 100 points in a playoff series despite missing the first three games.

Jaylen Brown paced the Celtics with 33 points, Derrick White scored 26, and Neemias Queta added 17 points on 7-of-8 shooting. Boston shot 13-of-49 from three-point range and missed 10 straight field goals in the final five minutes.

The most difficult seasons often carry the most weight in hindsight. The Celtics went through their share of disappointment before Banner 18, and this season may end up fitting that same mold.

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