Recap: Fox and Holmes Torch Celtics as Kings Win 107-96 in Boston
The Associated Press
The Celtics fell to the Kings, 107-96, losing another close game to a sub-.500 team. Richaun Holmes and De’Aaron Fox led the way for Sacramento in another tough loss for the C’s.
It was another slow start for the Celtics in this one. Sacramento was shooting lights out in the first quarter, led by sharpshooter Buddy Hield. At one point, the Kings went on a 12-3 run and really opened up the game. Boston just couldn’t find any source of consistent offense. They ended the first quarter down 28-22.
The second quarter brought more of the same for the C’s. The Kings continuously got open for solid looks on offense and the Celtics struggled to get their offense going. Brad Stevens was already four guys deep into the bench early in the second. The slow start was reminiscent of what happened just a couple of days ago against the Cavaliers.
Boston was getting outperformed on both ends going into the half. Sacramento was torching them from deep while Holmes dominated the paint. Jayson Tatum has an efficient 12 points at halftime, but it didn’t matter. The Celtics were down 45-55 after two.
There was a slight uptick in Boston’s defensive intensity in the third, and it translated to the offensive end as well. Sacramento’s lead grew to 13 at one point, but then the Celtics began to slowly claw their way back into it. Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart were leading the charge. They had 10 and 5 points, respectively. A pair of timely threes from Payton Pritchard furthered the Celtics’ efforts. All of these contributions helped cut Sacramento’s lead down to one by the fourth.
An energized start to the final quarter saw Boston take their first lead since the score was 10-8. Pritchard was playing some solid defense and a Grant Williams three propelled the team forward. The Celtics’ defense was looking worlds better than it had all game.
The Kings refused to go down without a fight, though. In no time, they were back out to a four-point lead. A shot-block-beating three from Holmes helped fuel their momentum. He and Fox were killing the C’s in the fourth.
Late buckets from Hield and Fox put the nail in the coffin, leading a 13-2 run by the Kings. Boston’s offense went cold late in the fourth yet again, allowing Sacramento to take home the 107-96 win. The Celtics display another example of not being able to win in the clutch. Their next game comes on Sunday when they take on the Orlando Magic at 3:30 PM EST on NBC Sports Boston.
