Payton Pritchard’s 11 assists and zero turnovers tie Trae Young for the NBA preseason high

BOSTON — Oct. 15, 2026 — Payton Pritchard came off the bench Wednesday night and handed out 11 assists in 29 minutes of Boston’s 114-93 preseason win over Charlotte. He did not commit a turnover.

Those 11 assists tie Trae Young for the most by any player in a game this preseason. Young had 11 for Washington in a 131-122 home loss to Brooklyn on Monday, Oct. 12. WhyNBA went through a box scores for all 53 preseason games completed through Wednesday, and nobody else has reached 11.

Same number, very different nights

The two 11-assist games look nothing alike once you get past the assists column:

• Payton Pritchard, Celtics vs. Charlotte (Oct. 14): 11 assists, 0 turnovers, 7 points on 3-of-11 shooting, 29 minutes off the bench, plus-19
• Trae Young, Wizards vs. Brooklyn (Oct. 12): 11 assists, 8 turnovers, 11 points on 1-of-5 shooting and 8-of-8 free throws, 28 minutes as a starter, minus-16

Pritchard had 11 of Boston’s 31 assists. The Celtics committed only 11 turnovers as a team, while Charlotte gave the ball away 30 times. Young had 11 of Washington’s 30 assists, but his eight turnovers were more than a third of the Wizards’ 23.

The single-game assists board

Six players have reached double figures in assists this preseason:

• 11 — Payton Pritchard, Celtics, vs. Charlotte, Oct. 14
• 11 — Trae Young, Wizards, vs. Brooklyn, Oct. 12
• 10 — Nikola Jokić, Nuggets, vs. Chicago, Oct. 11 (22 points, 11 rebounds, in 26 minutes)
• 10 — Alperen Şengün, Rockets, vs. Dallas, Oct. 9 (16 points, in 22 minutes)
• 10 — Craig Porter Jr., Cavaliers, vs. Boston, Oct. 8 (in 16 minutes, with no turnovers)
• 10 — Jarace Walker, Pacers, vs. Minnesota, Oct. 7 (one turnover)

Jokić’s night against the Bulls was a triple-double, and he got there in 26 minutes of a 133-128 Denver win. Six more players have had nine-assist games, among them Giannis Antetokounmpo for Miami, Cade Cunningham for Detroit and Josh Giddey for Chicago, all on Wednesday.

Who has the most assists overall

Over the full preseason, Jokić leads everyone with 29 assists in four games. He has played only 74 minutes, which works out to 14.1 assists per 36 minutes, the best rate of any player with at least 60 minutes.

• Nikola Jokić, Nuggets: 29 assists in 4 games (7.3 per game), 8 turnovers
• Josh Giddey, Bulls: 27 in 4 games (6.8), 8 turnovers
• Trae Young, Wizards: 23 in 3 games (7.7), 15 turnovers
• LaMelo Ball, Timberwolves: 23 in 4 games (5.8), 14 turnovers
• Tyus Jones, Nuggets: 21 in 4 games (5.3), 5 turnovers
• Giannis Antetokounmpo, Heat: 20 in 3 games (6.7), 8 turnovers
• Payton Pritchard, Celtics: 18 in 2 games (9.0), 4 turnovers

Among players with at least three games, Young has the best average at 7.7 assists per game. He also has the most turnovers of anyone near the top of the list. Pritchard has played only two games, but his 9.0 assists per game would lead the preseason if he qualified. In his other appearance he scored 25 points with seven assists in the 144-106 win over Philadelphia on Oct. 10.

What the numbers say about each player

For Pritchard, the passing is part of a bigger role. Basketball-Reference’s numbers show that the 2024-25 Sixth Man of the Year started 50 of his 79 games last season and averaged career highs of 17.0 points, 5.2 assists and 32.4 minutes. He averaged 1.4 turnovers a game. Boston signed him to a two-year, $44 million extension on Oct. 13.

Young is coming off a season in which he played only 15 games, 10 with Atlanta and five with Washington after the trade. He averaged 8.0 assists. A year earlier he had led the league at 11.6 per game. This preseason he has 15 turnovers in 68 minutes.

Jokić led the league at 10.7 assists per game in 2025-26. In fewer minutes this month, his per-minute assist rate is even higher.

Still to play

Toronto at New York and Oklahoma City at Houston are Thursday night, and every team finishes its preseason Friday. That night Boston plays at Philadelphia, Washington at New Orleans, Denver at the Lakers and Minnesota at Chicago, so the 11-assist tie could still be broken before the regular season opens Tuesday, Oct. 20, when Boston visits Detroit.