Celtics star Jayson Tatum thinks Payton Pritchard has what it takes to be Sixth Man of the Year.

The Boston Celtics were stuck in a back-and-forth battle with the Chicago Bulls on Friday night with their NBA Cup hopes at stake. With just 8:09 remaining in the fourth quarter, the scoreboard showed 108-108 at the United Center. Then, Payton Pritchard happened.

The fifth-year Celtic scored 11 points in a row, cashing three triples and notching a tough layup in less than three minutes. After this outburst, Boston led 119-112 with 5:25 left in regulation. The Celtics didn’t look back, prevailing 138-129 and eliminating the Bulls from NBA Cup contention.

This was all within a five-minute span of the fourth quarter: https://t.co/oQEZ1tVbPT pic.twitter.com/E1TErN9y5G

— NBA University (@NBA_University) November 30, 2024

Following Pritchard’s impressive outing, Celtics star Jayson Tatum stated that he believes his teammate deserves some personal hardware this season, per NBC Sports Boston.

“It’s been pretty cool to see him grow into the player he is. Being effective on a championship team and the things he’s doing—Sixth Man of the Year worthy for me,” Tatum stated. “[He] is always working on the court. Preseason, he’s always playing one-on-one, trying to get up extra shots. We see the work that he puts in. We trust him to make the right plays.”

Jayson Tatum on Payton Pritchard:

“Sixth Man of the Year worthy for me.”

“You’ve got to earn the respect of your teammates…and you do that by showing up every day…We see the work that he puts in and we trust him to make the right plays.”

(🎥: @NBCSCeltics) https://t.co/c9Jmcr3vWD pic.twitter.com/CutSDeGNfB

— Bobby Krivitsky (@BobbyKrivitsky) November 30, 2024

In the fourth quarter alone, Pritchard scored a game-high 19 points. No other Celtic even recorded double figures in that stretch. The Oregon native also had four rebounds in the last 12 minutes while no other player had more than three boards during that span.

Pritchard finished with 29 points, seven rebounds, and one steal in 28 minutes. Tatum was arguably the only Celtic who had a better night, as the five-time All-Star contributed 35 points, 14 rebounds, and five assists in the win.

Does Payton Pritchard have a real shot at Sixth Man of the Year?

Although the 2024-25 NBA season is only about a quarter of the way through, it’s not too early to put Pritchard in the Sixth Man of the Year conversation. Tatum already did and reigning NBA Finals MVP Jaylen Brown mentioned it as well.

“I mean, it’s early in the season, but Payton’s been balling,” Brown said on Monday of Pritchard’s Sixth Man of the Year campaign. “He’s been a superstar in his role all season long. He’s always been a hardworking guy who shows up early, puts his work in, but now it’s like we’re really starting to see the growth. I think Payton could be significant on any other team. He accepts his role and he has been fantastic for us.”

Through 19 games, the former first-round pick is averaging a career-high 27.4 minutes and 15.6 points. Despite the increase in playing time and shot production, Pritchard is more efficient than ever, shooting a career-high 48.5 percent from the field. In addition, he’s shooting an incredible 44 percent from deep and has drained the sixth-most 3-pointers in the NBA this season.

This red-hot start is forcing opposing teams to pay more attention to Pritchard. It’s also catching the eye of Las Vegas because according to Vegas Insider, DraftKings, FanDuel, and a few other major sportsbooks, Pritchard is the clear favorite to win Sixth Man of the Year currently.

Above all else, Pritchard is concerned with winning, not personal accolades. But, if he keeps his current pace up, he can achieve both. The Celtics are now 16-3 overall and less than a game behind the first-place Cleveland Cavaliers, who they face on Sunday afternoon.