When the Boston Celtics selected Payton Pritchard with the 26th pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, he joined a winning situation. The Oregon product has tasted playoff basketball in each of his five seasons in the NBA, making two NBA Finals and winning a championship in 2024. The 2025-26 season presents a different type of challenge. The Celtics are retooling following a summer of cost-cutting trades and playing without Jayson Tatum due to an Achilles tendon injury. To Boston’s credit, the team has found ways to remain competitive on both sides of the floor. However, Saturday’s 128-101 loss to the Houston Rockets changed that narrative, marking the Celtics’ first blowout defeat of the season. “We came ready to play, but we got popped tonight,” Payton Pritchard said, via CLNS Media. “So move on, get ready for the next one. I don’t even know if there is a takeaway of this game. I think you just kind of turn the page. They punked us, and you gotta get ready for the next one.” The Rockets are among the front-runners to win the 2026 NBA championship. Head coach Ime Udoka has guided his young, talented roster through sustained incremental growth, and Kevin Durant’s addition this summer made Houston one of the league’s biggest threats. Story continues below advertisement With that in mind, the Celtics should use the loss as a learning experience. The gulf in talent and execution was clear. Houston set the bar for where the current version of Boston’s roster needs to reach. Boston can get back to .500 when it faces the 2-4 Utah Jazz on Monday. Story continues below advertisement