Payton Pritchard scores 29 in easy Celtics win: 5 reasons why Boston smoked the Sacramento Kings

BOSTON — The Celtics played the opposite of Wednesday’s game against Atlanta on Friday night, taking control of the game early and leaving no doubt about their 112-93 win over the Sacramento Kings (Box Score).

The Celtics got to the rim at will and shot 71% in the first quarter, but their 15-point lead could have been even bigger if they didn’t send the Kings to the line 12 times, where they made 10. Boston slowed down a little to start the second quarter, but then ripped off a 25-6 run to push the lead to 26 at halftime. The Celtics went cold in the second half, but aside from a brief fourth-quarter dip below 20, they cruised to the finish line.

Here are five reasons why they won so easily.

Payton Pritchard carried the offense

I’m not one to give betting advice, so don’t waste your money doing what I say, but I’d be taking the over on Pritchard points on nights Jaylen Brown sits. Pritchard was feeling it early and he kept pouring it on, finishing with 29 points on 12-16 shooting (5-6 3pt) and eight assists.

Payton is up to a season-high 20 first-half points (and counting) 👀 pic.twitter.com/g0U9V0tqUY
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) January 31, 2026

He was, as they say, locked in, hitting from all over the floor.

I know it happens all the time, but I never fail to be impressed by how Pritchard gets into the paint, navigates among the trees, and figures out how to make a play. Whether he’s scoring or dropping a dime, he usually finds a way to do something positive.

They shot the lights out early on

They cooled off in the second half, but they built their 26-point lead on 65% overall shooting in the first half and 48% shooting from three (11-23).

They were playing with good tempo for most of this game. The offense moved well, guys were playing free, and shots were falling. That brings me to …

Neemias Queta made things easier

I have to fold the Queta conversation into the offense because his screen setting and ability to roll helped open things up.

Get us started Neemi 😤 pic.twitter.com/70UzITxAMY
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) January 31, 2026

I don’t know if enough has been made of Queta’s absence/limitations over the past week-plus as the illness rolled through Boston’s locker room. Obviously, the Celtics have gone through their recent .500 stretch for a variety of reasons, but Queta not being himself is one of them.

“Defensively, his ability to protect the rim, our ability to cross-match when he's out there, offensively, his screening vs. different coverages, his offensive rebounding,” Joe Mazzulla said. “He's grown and developed into a very important player for us, and you can see a difference when we have him.”

Queta (10 points, 15 rebounds) caught a couple of early lobs because of his ability to relocate off drives by his guards. Defensively, he had three steals and a block.

Baylor Scheierman started and played well

The obvious thing to look at is his 16 points on 6-10 shooting (4-7 3pt), but I think his hustle and defense was just as important.

“He's kind of developed into a utility guy for us defensively where he can defend different matchups,” Mazzulla said. “He can make defensive plays, but he knows how to play vs. cross-matches at the other end, and he's been making some shots and he offensive rebounds. So I'm pleased with where he's grown defensively for us.”

The only issue with Scheierman, and we see this with Queta from time to time, is that they get caught up in the moment when they're feeling themselves sometimes. Both mostly kept it under control in this game.

The Kings stink

I mean, this is a list of reasons why the Celtics won the game, isn’t it? The Kings are bad at basketball, and that's a reason why the Celtics were able to quickly build a lead, hold onto most of it when they weren’t playing great, and then turn it back on to go on a massive run. The Kings were also shorthanded, missing Keegan Murray, Domantas Sabonis, and Russell Westbrook, which made them even worse.

OTHER NOTES

Anfernee Simons was decent off the bench. He didn’t shoot well (16 points, 6-16 fg, 2-10 3pt), but I thought there were stretches where he was good.
The same can be said about Jordan Walsh. He made a couple of mistakes, and he didn’t shoot well either (1-7 fg, 1-5 3pt), but he also had some good plays out there that showed good maturity.
Luka Garza continues to do Luka Garza things, putting up 11 points on 4-5 shooting (1-1 3pt). Six of his eight rebounds were offensive, and he keeps finding his way to the line on those putbacks.
Hugo Gonzalez was +9 on a night where he scored two points on 1-8 shooting. He just finds ways to make a positive impact.