Preview: Kings to face dominant Celtics at unideal time
Apr 5, 2024, 8:47 AM | Updated: 10:37 am
(Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
(Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
Not even 24 hours after blowing a 21-point lead during a loss to the New York Knicks, the Sacramento Kings need a bounce-back performance.
Unfortunately for the Kings, the NBA schedule-makers didn’t do them any favors, as they will play the second night of a back-to-back on Friday night against the Boston Celtics–owner of the best record in the league (60-16).
The Celtics, who have already wrapped up home-court advantage throughout the NBA Playoffs, enter play against Sacramento with the NBA’s best home record (33-3) as they look to hand the Kings a third-straight loss at TD Garden.
Boston has not been a fun place for Sacramento, as the Kings have dropped 14 of their past 15 games when facing the Celtics on the road.
Another loss for Sacramento (44-32) would be costly, as the Beam Team enters play on Friday just a half-game ahead of the ninth-seed Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference standings. A Kings loss paired with a Lakers win on Saturday would push Sacramento into the single-elimination nine vs. ten-seed Play-In game with five games remaining on the regular season schedule.
Can the Kings hand Boston a rare loss on their home floor, or will they move closer to the uncertainty of the NBA Play-In Tournament?
Kings let 21-point lead slip away as Knicks complete comeback
Sacramento Kings vs. Boston Celtics Game Info
When: 4:30 PM PST
Where: TD Garden – Boston, MA
TV: NBC Sports California, NBA TV
Radio: Sactown Sports 1140 AM – Coverage starts at 3:00 PM on Game Night
Line: Celtics -9.5, O/U 223.5
Be sure to tune in right here on Sactown Sports 1140 for all of your Kings vs. Celtics coverage, beginning at 3:00 PM PST on Game Night before a 4:30 PM PST tip-off from Boston.
Defend The Three
While the Sacramento Kings might have a problem living and dying by the three-ball, the Boston Celtics have mostly just lived by the three this season.
Boston enters play on Friday as the NBA’s leader in made three-point field goals by a wide margin, as their 1,260 made triples are more than 100 ahead of the second-place Dallas Mavericks. The Celtics average 16.6 made three-point field goals per game, a number that sounds ridiculous you realize that only four teams have averaged 16+ made triples per game for an entire season:
- 2018-19 Houston Rockets (16.1)
- 2020-21 Utah Jazz (16.7)
- 2022-23 Boston Celtics (16.0)
- 2022-23 Golden State Warriors (16.6)
During the lone regular season matchup between these two teams on December 20th, the Kings did an abysmal job protecting the perimeter as the Celtics caught fire, finishing the night 22-of-42 (52%) from deep en route to a 114-119 blowout win at Golden 1 Center.
For Boston, the recipe for success has been simple: If the triples fall, wins follow.
In games that the Celtics have made at least 40 percent of their attempts from three-point range, they hold a staggering record of 35-1 (.972), meaning that a 40 percent clip almost certainly spells the end for opposing defenses.
Sacramento surely will focus on perimeter defense on Friday and force Boston into the paint, an area that they have struggled to score this season. The Celtics 46.9 paint points per game come in at 29th out of 30 teams, only ahead of the lowly Memphis Grizzlies.
Tatum & Brown
Update: Jaylen Brown (hand) has been ruled out for Fridays game.
When the Kings suffered a blowout loss to Boston in December, MVP candidate Jayson Tatum didn’t play due to an injury. This time, Tatum will be in uniform at TD Garden.
Tatum has been a thorn in Sacramento’s side over the past few seasons as the forward is averaging 33.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 4.5 assist per game on 61/48/70 shooting splits during four head-to-head matchups with the Kings since 2021-22.
Fellow All-Star Jaylen Brown has also been a problem for Sacramento, scoring 25+ points in his past five games against the Kings–including 28 points over 29 minutes on December 20th.
Limiting Tatum and Brown will be critical on Friday, as Sacramento will want to take the All-Star duo out of its comfort zone and force players like Derrick White, Kristaps Porzingis, and Al Horford to beat them.
Of course, that’s a lot easier said than done, but the Kings will have to try their best to slow down the one-two punch that very well could be on its way to leading Boston to the NBA Finals.
Kings vs. Celtics Injury Report
Sacramento
- Malik Monk – OUT (Right knee sprain)
- Kevin Huerter – OUT (left shoulder dislocation)
- Mason Jones – OUT (G-League)
- Jalen Slawson – OUT (G-League)
- Jordan Ford – OUT (G-League)
Boston
- Jaylen Brown – OUT (left hand sprain)
- Derrick White – OUT (low back contusion)
- Jaden Springer – OUT (left knee tendinopathy)
- Neemias Queta – OUT (G-League)
- Drew Peterson – OUT (G-League)
- JD Davison – OUT (G-League)
Upcoming Schedule
- Friday, April 5th – Sacramento Kings @ Boston Celtics – 4:30 PM PST
- Sunday, April 7th – Sacramento Kings @ Brooklyn Nets – 4:30 PM PST
- Tuesday, April 9th – Sacramento Kings @ Oklahoma City Thunder – 5:00 PM PST
- Thursday, April 11th – Sacramento Kings vs. New Orleans Pelicans – 7:00 PM PST
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