The Boston Celtics (11-9) fell to the Sacramento Kings (10-11) by a final score of 116-111 on Wednesday night at the Golden 1 Center. The game was tightly contested throughout its duration, but a huge fourth quarter from De’Aaron Fox helped propel the Kings over the Celtics.
Celtics:
Boston was without the majority of their guards tonight. Kemba Walker, Marcus Smart and Payton Pritchard were all inactive due to injuries. As a result, the Celtics needed their two stars to step up in a major way. Jayson Tatum finished as the game-high scorer, posting a near triple-double with 27 points, 10 assists, 9 rebounds and 2 steals in 39 minutes of action, while Jaylen Brown added 21 points (7-18 FG, 2-6 3PT, 5-6 FT) in 34 minutes of play.
Tristan Thompson recorded a double-double with 17 points (7-9 FG, 3-4 FT) and 10 rebounds in one of his strongest games of the year. The 17 points by Thompson are a season-high for him this year. Daniel Theis also finished in double-digit scoring with 11 points (3-5 FG, 2-4 3PT, 3-4 FT) in 27 minutes of action. Robert Williams III contributed 9 points and 8 rebounds in 19 minutes of play off the bench.
Kings:
For the Kings, Fox led the team in scoring and assists with 26 points and 11 assists. Buddy Hield also contributed a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds. Harrison Barnes was effective, adding 24 points and 6 assists in 37 minutes. Tyrese Haliburton continued his strong rookie season with a 21-point effort in 30 minutes of action off the bench.
Game Summary:
By the end of the first quarter, the Celtics held a 4-point advantage over the Kings (26-22). Boston led by as many as 9 points in the quarter (24-15), but a 7-2 run by Kings helped close the gap. Boston came out hot to start the second, opening the quarter on an 8-2 run. However, the Celtics started to cool off and the Kings ultimately outscored the Celtics 30-25 in the second quarter to give them a 1-point lead at the half (52-51).
Every time the Celtics tried to pull away, the Kings had an answer. During the third quarter, Boston established their largest lead of the game with 5:30 left in the third (74-63). Sacramento proceeded to go on an 18-8 run to bring them within one point going into the final quarter (82-81). The fourth quarter was a back and forth affair with neither team being able to establish a lead of more than 5 points. There were 3 lead changes and 5 ties in the fourth quarter alone.
Final minutes
Tatum converted on a three-point play with 1:06 left in the game, cutting Sacramento’s advantage to 112-111. Fox answered with a 17-foot step-back making it 114-111. Tatum had a clean look to try and send the game to overtime, but he missed a 3-point shot with 1.5 seconds. Tatum and Fox both put up 13 points in the fourth quarter, but it was the Kings that ultimately came away with the 116-111 victory. The Celtics just weren’t able to pull it out late.
Upcoming:
The Celtics return to action Friday night when they visit the Los Angeles Clippers. It will be Boston’s third game in a five-game road trip. Boston will look to bounce back after a disappointing loss.