The Sacramento Kings visit the Celtics for the 2nd and final game between them this season. The Celtics won the first meeting 144-119 in Sacramento on December 20. The Celtics were 2-0 last season. They are 191-119 all time against the Kings and 103-33 at home. The Kings are playing on the second night of back to back games after playing in New York on Thursday. They are 7-5 on the second night of back to back games.
The Celtics remain 1st in the East, 13 games ahead of 2nd place Milwaukee, 14.5 games ahead of 3rd place Cleveland, 15 games ahead of 4th place Orlando, 15 games ahead of 5th place New York, and 17.5 games ahead of 6th place Miami. They are 33-3 at home and 8-2 in their last 10 games. They are 21-7 against Western Conference teams and have won their last 3 games.
The Kings are 8th in the very crowded West. They are just 1 game behind 6th place Phoenix and 7th place New Orleans and 2 games behind 5th place Dallas. They are half a game ahead of the 9th place Lakers, and 2.5 games ahead of 10th place Golden State. They are 21-17 on the road and 6-4 in their last 10 games. They are 15-12 against Eastern Conference teams and they are coming off a loss in their last game.
The Celtics are playing in the 2nd game of a 3 game home stand after a 6 game road trip. They went 4-2 on the trip, beating Detroit, Chicago, New Orleans and Charlotte and losing 2 games to Atlanta. They beat the Thunder 135-100 in the first game back at home. After this game they will stay at home for 1 game against Portland. Then it’s one game on the road in Milwaukee before finishing the season at home against New York, Charlotte and Washington.
The Kings just finished a 3-2 home stand, beating Philadelphia, Utah and the Clippers and losing 2 games to Dallas. This is the 2nd game of a 4 game road trip. They lost in New York on Thursday and will play at Brooklyn and Oklahoma City to finish up the road trip. They will finish the season with 3 games at home, hosting New Orleans, Phoenix, and Portland.
The Celtics have little to prove. They have won 60 games and clinched home court advantage for the entire playoffs. I can imagine that they will sit some players in their final 6 games to heal up some bumps and bruises before the playoffs. Derrick White is out for this game due to a low back contusion. Jaylen Brown is out with a left hand sprain. At this time of the season, it’s hard to predict who will play and who will start. Who would have predicted point Jayson? I’m guessing that Sam Hauser will start in place of Brown and Tatum will move to small forward and Al Horford will start at the 4. But, that’s just a guess.
The Kings are in the midst of a mad scramble in the West. There are just 2 games separating 5th place and 9th place. As with the Thunder loss to the Celtics, a team can move from 1st to 3rd or from the play-in to a guaranteed berth or vice versa. Kevin Huerter is out with a shoulder injury and Malik Monk is out with a knee injury. Jordan Ford is questionable with a back injury.
Probable Celtics Starters
PG: Jrue Holiday
SG: Sam Hauser
SF: Jayson Tatum
PF: Al Horford
C: Kristaps Porzingis
Celtics Reserves
Oshae Brissett
Svi Mykhailiuk
Luke Kornet
Payton Pritchard
Jordan Walsh
Xavier Tillman
2 Way Players
JD Davison
Drew Peterson
Neemias Queta
Injuries/Out
Jaylen Brown (hand) out
Derrick White (back) out
Jaden Springer (knee) out
Head Coach
Joe Mazzulla
Probable Kings Starters
PG: De’Aaron Fox
SG: Keon Ellis
SF: Harrison Barnes
PF: Keegan Murray
C : Domantas Sabonis
Kings Reserves
Chris Duarte
Kessler Edwards
Colby Jones
Mason Jones
Alex Len
Trey Lyles
JaVale McGee
Davion Mitchell
Sasha Vezenkov
Two Way Players
Jordan Ford
Jalen Slawson
Injuries/Out
Jordan Ford (back) questionable
Kevin Huerter (shoulder) out Malik Monk (knee) out
Head Coach
Mike Brown
Key Matchups
Jrue Holiday vs De’Aaron Fox
Fox is averaging 26.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 2.0 steals per game. He is shooting 46.3% from the field and 36% from beyond the arc. The Celtics will need to slow him down and also take care of the ball as he is always a threat to steal the ball.
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Kristaps Porzingis
Photo by Maddie Malhotra/Getty Images
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Domantas Sabonis
Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images
Kristaps Porzingis vs Domantas Sabonis
Sabonis has been playing very well in recent games. He is averaging 19.6 points, 13.7 rebounds, and 8.3 assists per game. He is shooting 59.9% from the field and 37.7% from beyond the arc. The Celtics need to keep him out of the paint and off the boards and they need to guard him both inside and on the perimeter.
Honorable Mention
Al Horford vs Keegan Murray
Murray is averaging 15.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.0 steals per game. He is shooting 46.3% from the field and 36.0% from beyond the arc. Murray is very capable of putting up a lot of points if not defended well. At this time of the year, it’s hard to guess who will play and who will start if guys are out. It’s just a guess that Horford will start here.
Keys to the Game
Defense – Defense is always the key to winning every game. The Kings have a defensive rating of 115.0 (17th). The Celtics defensive rating is 110.6, 3rd in the league. The Celtics need to defend the paint as the Kings average 51.7 points in the paint per game. The Kings are 4th in the league with 38.8 three pointers attempted per game so the Celtics must also defend the perimeter. The Celtics need to tighten up their defense as that is likely what will win this game.
Rebound – Much of rebounding is effort and desire. The Celtics have to put out extra effort to grab the rebounds on both ends of the court. By doing so, they limit the second chance points and fast breaks for the Kings and also give themselves extra possessions. The Celtics are averaging 46.5 rebounds per game to 43.9 rebounds per game for the Kings. The Kings average 14.4 second chance points per game and so they have to put out extra effort to beat the Kings to the boards and to limit their second chance points.
Focus and Effort – The Celtics need to stay focused on playing the right way. They have to focus on moving the ball carefully, on taking good shots, on going after loose balls and on playing as a team. The Kings are still playing for positioning in the post season and would like to avoid the play-in so they will be focused and will play hard. The Celtics must play with increased focus and effort if they expect to beat the Kings in this one. Even though the Celtics have secured their spot at the top of the league, they still need to play as if they are trying to make the playoffs. They don’t want to let their effort slack off going into the playoffs.
X-Factors
Home Court Advantage – The Celtics have worked hard to get home court throughout the playoffs. They need to use home court advantage in this game to give them a boost. They are playing in front of their own fans and on their own familiar court while the Kings are playing on the road and have travel and a hostile crowd and road fatigue to distract them.
Officiating – Officiating can always be an x-factor. Every crew will call the game differently. Some will call every little thing and the game will have no flow. Others will let a lot go and let them play. Some crews favor the home team while others call it evenly or have a personal agenda. The Celtics need to adjust to how the game is called and not let the officials take away their focus.
