Payton Pritchard delivered a standout performance Monday night as the Boston Celtics dominated the Chicago Bulls 134-99 at TD Garden. Coming off a two-year contract extension and following two underwhelming games, Pritchard took a more assertive offensive role, stepping up especially after teammate Jayson Tatum exited early in the third quarter due to foul trouble.

Pritchard scored 28 points, including seven three-pointers, with 19 of those points coming in a decisive 7-minute stretch of the third quarter. During that period, the Celtics surged on a 34-14 run to extend their lead to 105-75, effectively putting the game out of reach. His performance evoked memories of last season when he was a consistent high-volume scorer and a key offensive threat off the bench.

After scoring only four points in Friday’s loss to the New York Knicks, Pritchard acknowledged his earlier struggles and expressed relief at turning his performance around. “I really couldn’t put my finger on it, but the last couple years, I just have games where it’s very nonaggressive, kind of just out of rhythm,” he said. He added that despite the team winning against New York, he was dissatisfied with his effort and aimed to approach the game with a more aggressive mindset this time. “Tonight was coming out with just an aggressive mind-set and just play free and just attack the paint.”

The Celtics had hoped Pritchard would assume a larger offensive role following his contract extension, positioning him as a primary secondary scorer alongside Jayson Tatum. While the opening two games of the season saw Pritchard struggle against defensive pressure from the Detroit Pistons and New York Knicks—with only 14 shot attempts combined—Monday marked a turnaround.

Tatum, who had scored 36 points against the Knicks on Friday, was limited by foul trouble in the second half and left the game with 7:15 remaining in the third quarter. Boston has been seeking more balanced scoring contributions, especially when Tatum is off the floor, as seen in Robert Williams’ and Derrick White’s recent efforts. Pritchard’s breakout performance provides the Celtics with a valuable complement to Tatum as they aim to maintain offensive consistency throughout the season.