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Here's What Stood Out in Celtics' Win vs. Kings: Boston Looks the Part of a Title Contender, Capping Six-Game Road Trip with a 4-2 Record
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It wasn't always pretty, but the Celtics ended a grueling six-game road trip with a 4-2 record. They saved their most impressive win for last, going to Sacramento and earning a 132-109 win over the Kings, the second seed in the West.
Boston did an outstanding job taking care of the ball, leading to a 21-6 advantage in points off turnovers, only committing five giveaways to the hosts' 14.
That allowed the visitors to hold Sacramento to two fast-break points in 48 minutes.
And with the Celtics consistently operating up-tempo and not turning the ball over, they repeatedly generated high-quality shots.
They assisted on 32/49 field goals, shot 53.3 percent from the floor, and their inside-outside approach led to an abundance of clean looks from beyond the arc and making 18/44 (40.9 percent) of their threes.
Boston's defense also deserves credit for limiting the Kings to 109 points, including a 22-point second quarter, and for its role in quickly curbing any run by Sacramento, including the hosts' last gasp in the final frame.
In the victory, Jayson Tatum led all scorers with 36 points, pairing it with eight rebounds, four assists, and two steals. He matched Larry Bird for the most games in franchise history with at least 30 points in a season (39).
Jaylen Brown registered 27 points, five rebounds, and four assists. Derrick White contributed 20 points, dished out ten assists, and grabbed seven rebounds. And Marcus Smart provided 17 points, seven assists, and swiped two steals.
At 50-23, the defending Eastern Conference champions are a game ahead of the third-seeded Sixers and within two of the first-place Bucks.
Now, a deep dive into what stood out in each quarter of one of the Celtics' most complete and consistent wins of the season.
Celtics Keep Stride with Sacramento in the First Frame
The Kings' offense is the most potent in the NBA for a reason. The pace they play with, their floor spacing, and their ability to knock down threes, then mix in Domantas Sabonis pick-and-rolls and post-ups -- they also got a deuce from feeding Keegan Murray down low -- makes them extremely difficult to stop.
Sacramento put 32 points on the board, shooting 54.5 percent from the field, including 6/15 (40 percent) from beyond the arc. The hosts assisted on 9/12 field goals and also produced 12 points in the paint.
But Boston kept stride, registering 30 points in the first 12 minutes. The visitors only went 4/14 (28.6 percent) on threes but manufactured ten points in the paint.
The Celtics ran into a rough patch, settling for threes off one pass, but they snapped out of that, sprinkling in a Jayson Tatum post-up and getting back to attacking the rim.
Tatum finished the first quarter with 15 points, leading all scorers. Sabonis registered nine, a team-high for the Kings.
Robert Williams, who's back from an eight-game absence due to a left hamstring strain, played the final four minutes of the first frame. He quickly made an impact, setting a screen that got Derrick White to the basket for a layup and stunting to cut Sabonis off on a drive, leading to a turnover.
Williams was moving well in his first shift.
Celtics Strong at Both Ends in the Second Quarter
Boston staged a 12-2 run early in the second frame, giving the visitors their first lead.
Points in transition, whether off misses or turnovers, fueled that burst. The Celtics also got a pull-up three from Jaylen Brown, who followed it up by getting into the paint, drawing Sabonis, and dishing to the Timelord for a dunk that put them ahead 42-39 with 7:46 left in the first half.
At the 4:11 mark, when Marcus Smart knotted the game at 47, his three made Boston the first team in NBA history to have eight players make at least 100 threes in a season.
The Celtics' offense was humming to end the period. They scored on their last five possessions, including getting Al Horford an open pick-and-pop three, Tatum splitting two defenders out of a high-screen-and-roll, getting into the middle of the floor, then kicking the ball out to Smart, who swung it to Brown in the near-side corner for another triple.
And Tatum ended the quarter by gathering a sideline inbound with three seconds left, attacking downhill, and finishing off the glass through contact. He turned it into an old-school three-point play at the free-throw line, giving Boston a 60-54 lead at halftime.
The visitors ended the first half on a 13-2 run. They outscored the Kings 30-22 in the second frame, limiting them to 41.2 percent shooting from the field, including 3/9 (33.3 percent) from behind the arc.
Tatum led all scorers at the break with 22 points, faring 2/5 from three, attacking the cylinder, mixing in a post-up, and taking six free throws, the most through 24 minutes, capitalizing on four.
Boston also got 13 points from Brown, had a 10-5 advantage in second-chance baskets, and a 6-0 edge in fast-break scoring -- keeping any opponent, especially Sacramento, from producing fast-break points is extremely impressive.
The Celtics also did a terrific job taking care of the ball, committing one turnover to the Kings' seven, and converting those giveaways into nine points.
Celtics Get the Desired Results for an Outstanding Offensive Process in the Third Frame
The Celtics started the second half by getting Tatum the ball in the low post on their first possession, translating to an easy bucket for the four-time All-Star.
And when Tatum stripped Sabonis and went in for a layup at the other end, he extended Boston's advantage to 70-61 at the 9:27 mark.
The visitors also consistently created high-quality, in-rhythm threes, playing inside-out basketball, turning paint touches into open shots from beyond the arc.
Threes by Brown, Horford, and Smart helped the Celtics stage a 14-5 run that gave them a 79-66 lead with 8:01 remaining in the period.
And whether it was Derrick White stripping the ball from Harrison Barnes after committing Boston's second turnover of the game or he and Robert Williams erasing Sabonis' follow-up attempt after he grabbed an offensive rebound, the visitors did an excellent job minimizing the damage when they made mistakes.
The Celtics engineered an 11-0 run as the third quarter neared its end, capped by working the ball from one side to the other, as Grant Williams found White in the left corner for an open three that put them ahead 100-81 with a minute left.
They entered the final frame leading 100-85, outscoring the Kings 40-31 in a period they shot 7/12 (58.3 percent) from beyond the arc and assisted on 11/15 field goals.
Boston also produced 14 points in the paint and had a 7-0 edge in baskets off turnovers in the third quarter. Through 36 minutes, Sacramento still doesn't have any fast-break points.
Celtics Run Through the Tape in the Fourth Quarter
Grant Williams, who already had multiple second-chance baskets, earned a Tommy Point by diving to the floor to secure a loose ball with the Kings starting to regain their rhythm and Boston leading 107-93 with 8:38 left.
With Sacramento on a 10-2 run, narrowing the gap to 107-95, Smart delivered a timely bucket, getting to the cup for a layup off the glass, pushing the visitors' edge to 14 with 7:46 to go.
Tatum followed that up with a layup that gave him 31 points, matching Larry Bird for the most games in franchise history with at least 30 in a season (39).
A right-corner transition three by White capped a 9-0 run, which put the Celtics ahead 116-95 with 5:51 remaining. That was Boston's largest lead to that point.
That helped the visitors close out a 132-109 win, finishing their six-game road trip with a 4-2 record.
Up Next
The Celtics return home to host the Pacers Friday night. The matchup tips off at 7:00 pm EST. Inside The Celtics will have content related to the game before, during, and afterward. And follow @BobbyKrivitsky on Twitter for updates and analysis from pregame to post.
Further Reading
Jaylen Brown is Uncertain About Future With Boston Celtics
[Film Room] the Primary Problem Plaguing the Celtics' Crunch-Time Defense
Here's What Stood Out in Celtics' Loss vs. Jazz: Boston Outplayed in Crunch-Time
