The Sacramento Kings defeated the Boston Celtics 114-97. The Kings entered on a five-game winning streak, which they pushed to six off a 38-point fourth quarter. They were shorthanded, playing without their star Point Guard De’Aaron Fox, but that did not matter. The Celtics were relatively healthy.
Jordan Walsh and Drew Peterson were their only players out. Domantas Sabonis scored 23 points with a whopping 28 rebounds. DeMar DeRozan had 24 points. Jaylen Brown scored 28 points, but it was not enough. Sacramento improved to 19-19, while the Boston Celtics dropped to 27-11.
A Close First Half
The Kings got off to a hot start in this game. After both teams traded baskets, they pulled ahead on an 8-0 run, taking a 21-15 lead. Sacramento led by as much as nine in the opening quarter. Sabonis, Derozan, and Malik Monk took on the scoring load and generated open shots. They transitioned defense into offense by forcing turnovers and getting easy layups. The Boston Celtics didn’t have a bad opening quarter on offense. Brown scored 10 quick points, getting to the rim with ease. Jayson Tatum, Kristaps Porzingis, and Payton Pritchard all hit threes. At the end of the quarter, the Boston Celtics trailed 34-27.
In the second quarter, the Celtics did what they could to even the score. They went on a 7-0 run to tie the game at 34 with tough shots from Pritchard and Porzingis. Boston proceeded to take the lead, but the Kings kept the game close. Monk and DeRozan continued to score, never allowing the defending champions to pull away. Brown and Porzingis each had 13 points in the first half. Porzingis was one of the only Celtics players who was efficient with their three-point shooting, making three in the half. At halftime, the Boston Celtics held a slim 55-53 lead.
The Boston Celtics Collapse
The Boston Celtics had opportunities to build their lead in the third quarter but did not take advantage. With a Tatum three-pointer, the Celtics took a 72-63 lead. Their defense tightened up and it allowed their lead to grow. But this nine-point lead was the largest Boston would get. The Kings went on a 7-0 run to close the gap and tied the game soon after. Boston reached 72 points with just under seven minutes to go in the third quarter but ended with 76 points. This means that in almost seven minutes, they only scored four points. Sacramento closed the third quarter on a 13-4 run, and the game was tied 76-76.
The Kings offense exploded in the final quarter. Rookie Devin Carter helped get the ball rolling, scoring a few baskets to build a lead. Then, with baskets from Sabonis, Monk, and Murray, the lead grew. Sacramento opened the final quarter on a 21-7 run. The Boston Celtics offense was pitiful, and the defense gave up far too much. It got so bad that the TD Garden fans began to boo their home team. And it was deserved. This run essentially sealed the game, and the Kings led by as much as 19. They outscored the Boston Celtics 38-21 in the fourth quarter en route to a 114-97 win.
Final Thoughts
This was a huge win for the Sacramento Kings. It is not easy to go on the road and dominate the defending champions, but they did it while missing Fox. The team has won six games in a row since firing Mike Brown and replacing him with Doug Christie. They improved to 19-19 on the season and are quietly one of the hottest teams in the NBA.
Meanwhile, the Boston Celtics are extremely cold. The team shot 11-of-41 from three, for 26.8%. Last season, the team’s identity was the three-ball, but this season nearly every game since the start of December has been a bad shooting night. Before December, the Celtics were 16-3. Since then, they’ve gone 11-8. The Boston Celtics fell to 27-11 and clearly need to figure some things out.
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