It may be the preseason, but Payton Pritchard was already in mid-season form in a matchup between the two recent NBA titleholders.
Pritchard fired 21 points built on six triples and the defending champion Boston Celtics opened their preseason tilt in Abu Dhabi with a 107-103 win over the Denver Nuggets.
🏀 FRIDAY'S FINAL SCORES 🏀
— NBA (@NBA) October 4, 2024
Payton Pritchard's 6 triples lifts the @celtics to the #NBAinAbuDhabi win!
Jayson Tatum: 12 PTS, 3 3PM, 6 REB, 5 AST
Nikola Jokic: 14 PTS, 8 REB, 2 STL
Russell Wstbrook: 12 PTS, 3 3PM, 4 REB, 8 AST pic.twitter.com/vjtALcoDfb
The 26-year-old led a red-hot Celtics shooting that went 20-for-61 beyond the arc, while adding four rebounds and six dimes in just 24 minutes.
Payton Pritchard knocks down 6 triples and scores a game-high 21 as the @celtics get the preseason W 🔥 #NBAinAbuDhabi pic.twitter.com/NGlqgq8XLn
— NBA (@NBA) October 4, 2024
Boston’s trio of Olympic gold medalists from the Olympic Games Paris 2024 in Jayson Tatum, Jrue Holiday, and Derrick White combined to record 25 points.
JT knocks down the step-back 3... looking sharp early in Abu Dhabi 🔥 #NBAinAbuDhabi
— NBA (@NBA) October 4, 2024
BOS-DEN on NBA TV
📲 https://t.co/HjGKkAYEoT pic.twitter.com/ArKh6lfSRX
Reigning Finals MVP Jaylen Brown had eight. The Celtics then rested him, Tatum, Holiday, and White in the second half.
It was a tight finish for both teams with under a minute left with the Nuggets clinging to a four-point lead, 101-97.
Back-to-back baskets from Zeke Nnaji and Jahmir Young inched the Nuggets closer at the Nuggets, 102-103 with just 13.1 ticks remaining.
JD Davison hit two clutch freebies to give the Nuggets a breathing room, 105-102, before Young split one from the charity stripe. Boston hung on and iced the game with Davison again swishing a pair from the free throw line.
Meanwhile, three-time MVP Nikola Jokic returned to action fresh from a silver medal finish with Serbia in the Paris Olympics and had 14 points and eight boards in 17 minutes.
Nikola Jokic in his first game back in action:
— NBA (@NBA) October 4, 2024
14 PTS
5-7 FGM
8 REB
2 STL
17 MIN#NBAinAbuDhabi pic.twitter.com/4KeChGVV1w
Michael Porter Jr. added 12 markers while Jamal Murray, who played for Canada in Paris 2024, had three points in 15 minutes.
Off-season addition Russell Westbrook made his Nuggets pre-season debut and finished with 12 points, four rebounds, and eight dimes in 19 minutes off the bench. The 2017 MVP even hit three triples on his way to a rousing start for a new team.
Russell Westbrook brought the energy in his first preseason game with the @nuggets 🙌 #NBAinAbuDhabi
— NBA (@NBA) October 4, 2024
12 PTS
8 AST
4 REB
3 3PM
19 MIN pic.twitter.com/yiJewYPQ5n
Both teams will play again tomorrow.
