Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard wanted to be traded last season for the sole purpose of playing basketball more often than he was last season.

The Celtics responded to that with a four-year, $30 million contract extension for Pritchard in the beginning of the season. The contract kicks in next season, but it’s already paying off for Boston.

On Friday night, Prichard set a career-high of 31-points, he had 11-assists, and became the first Celtics player in the play-by-play era to score at least 23-points and have nine assists in the first half of a game.

The only other player to produce a stat line like that this season is Luka Doncic.

Pritchard is averaging 9.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game with 46/38/81 splits this season. Here’s what he said postgame about what went into his career game:

“I was really just trying to make the right plays and take what they give me. I got some of my teammates going early, it allowed me to get to my midrange a little bit. Just taking what the defense gives me, the game is easy when you make it easy.”

Via NBC Sports Boston Postgame

On Sunday, Pritchard will be the only Celtics player this season to play in all 82-games this season, which he takes great pride in:

“It just shows all the hard work I put in this summer time. It allows me to play every game, it’s a long season so your body has to prepare for that and it just shows all the hard work.”

Via NBC Sports Boston Postgame

Pritchard has a real role on this team and he’s going to be need in the playoffs. It’s great to see him thrive this season.

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Photo Credit: Brian Fluharty, Getty Images