Imported Article – 2026-04-28 12:57:28

Payton Pritchard’s playoff career-high 32 points helped the Celtics take a 3-1 series lead over the Sixers.

PHAIDELPHIA – The goals Payton Pritchard writes down for himself might seem a little unusual to anyone driven by results. He doesn’t jot down the accolades he hopes to win or the statistics he intends to produce. In some ways, at least, he believes such accomplishments are out of his control.

Instead, Pritchard’s goals focus on his own input. Details he can sharpen daily to improve himself. Habits he can add to his routine to eventually make a difference. Entering this season, he focused on maximizing his sleep.

Pritchard said changing his sleep habits worked. He tweaked his routine after games. He put away his electronics before bedtime, focused more on his hydration and at times used magnesium drinks. He believes it helped him play 79 games and gave him more energy throughout the regular season.

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Pritchard was as dominant as he had ever been in the playoffs. For him, though, the results are never the focus.

“What do you add to your routine every year to just maximize yourself?” Pritchard said. “And that’s what I pride myself on. Every year, adding one or two new things that could help.”

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Jay King is a staff writer for The Athletic covering the Boston Celtics. He previously covered the team for MassLive for five years. He also co-hosts the