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Celtics-Kings takeaways: Tatum stars in 113-95 win despite ankle injury

Celtics-Kings takeaways: Tatum stars in 113-95 win despite ankle injury originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

What to Know

  • Jayson Tatum steered Boston from the get-go, but couldn’t finish the game after rolling his ankle on a late closeout by Domantas Sabonis.
  • Payton Pritchard and the bench played a key role in Joe Mazzulla’s eight-man rotation.
  • Jaylen Brown and Jrue Holiday each had quiet games, but got help from elsewhere.
  • New soon-to-be majority owner William Chisholm was in attendance in Sacramento.

The Boston Celtics are lighting the beam.

Boston on Monday got its revenge on the Sacramento Kings, winning in a 113-95 road rout after its 114-97 home loss on January 10.

Sacramento led by as much as nine points midway through the first quarter, with Keegan Murray and Keon Ellis getting off to fast starts in the absence of Malik Monk (illness). But Jayson Tatum did Jayson Tatum things to pull it back, logging 11 points and five assists, including one that set up Payton Pritchard’s buzzer-beating triple that gave Boston a 30-29 lead after one.

After a heavy back-and-forth second 12 minutes, Boston eventually extended its lead to five at 56-51 thanks to a mini late push. Tatum still led the Celtics with 17 points and six assists on 4-for-7 3-point shooting, while Pritchard’s 14 points off the bench was more than any King at that point.

Boston then pushed its lead to 14 late in the third quarter following a Kristaps Porzingis 3-pointer, but maintained an 88-78 advantage going into the final 12 minutes. Tatum increased his point total to 25 despite suffering an ankle injury on a late closeout by Domantas Sabonis, while Porzingis got up to 14 points.

The Celtics simply saw out the game in the fourth, with Sacramento putting up little resistance with 17 points in the quarter. Baylor Scheierman got in on the action in a big game for the bench.

With the Phoenix Suns next on Wednesday, here are three takeaways from the Celtics’ win over the Kings:

Jayson Tatum stars prior to ankle injury

This game was all about Tatum for the majority of the first three quarters. Tatum posted a game-high 25 points to go with eight assists and seven rebounds on 8-for-15 shooting overall and 5-for-9 from beyond the arc. He uncharacteristically went just 4 of 8 from the foul line.

Tatum also showed off a unique one-legged pull-up three in the early stages, which set the tone for his nice output.

However, Tatum had to leave the game in the second half after suffering an ankle injury. Tatum stepped into a triple over Sabonis, but didn’t get any room to land and suffered the injury. He managed to attempt his free throws before being helped to the bench.

Sabonis was issued a Flagrant 1 foul after a review.

Payton Pritchard leads strong bench effort

The Celtics received a significant lift from its bench that helped Tatum and Co. build a cushion against Sacramento. Pritchard was the catalyst as he continued his hot end to the month of March, finishing with 22 points, five rebounds, two assists and a steal on 8 of 18 shooting overall, including a 5 of 13 clip from distance.

Luke Kornet put in a robust shift, too, ending with 13 points on 6 of 7 shooting overall to go with eight rebounds, three assists, one steal and a block in 26 minutes, which included heavy playing time in the fourth.

Even Scheierman did his part with nine points on 3-for-6 shooting from deep, adding seven rebounds, two steals, one assist and a block in 28 minutes.

Sacramento’s bench could not keep pace, with Markelle Fultz’s eight points in 11 minutes leading the way. Jonas Valanciunas was held to just four points in 13 minutes, while Jake LaRavia mustered only two in 17.

Jaylen Brown, Jrue Holiday stay quiet

Despite the score advantage, the Celtics didn’t get much production from two of their stars. Brown had just nine points in 26 minutes, though he went 4 of 5 from the floor. He also added two rebounds and a steal, but the former Finals MVP could’ve offered more in what’s been a slow back half of March from a statistical perspective.

Holiday tried to deal damage offensively, but fared much better on the other end. He shot 2 of 11 from the field for just five points, while adding three assists, one rebound and a block in 31 minutes.

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LaVine claims Kings' vibes ‘not good' after third straight loss

LaVine claims Kings' vibes ‘not good' after third straight loss originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SACRAMENTO – Sixty-four days after Keon Ellis described the vibes around the Kings as “immaculate,” the atmosphere in Sacramento has hit a full 180.

“The vibe is not good,” Kings guard Zach LaVine said Monday night after Sacramento’s 113-95 loss to the Boston Celtics put the team back under .500 for the first time since Feb. 7.

“It shouldn’t be. We’re not happy with the way we’ve been performing. Individually and as a group. The games aren’t going to stop. It’s nut-crunching time. You figure out how to get a win. We’re playing good in spurts, but that doesn’t win you a game.”

LaVine, visibly frustrated while speaking to reporters postgame, likely was projecting some of his annoyance from his recent performances. 

It took a few games for LaVine to get his feet wet in Sacramento’s system since being shipped to the Kings at last month’s NBA trade deadline, but he was playing some of his best basketball over an 11-game stretch before missing last week’s contest against the Cleveland Cavaliers due to personal reasons. 

He returned the following game, but his hot streak didn’t. Over the last three games, LaVine is averaging just 12.7 points on 15-of-42 shooting (35.7 percent) from the field and 3 of 15 (20 percent) from 3-point range.

There was a slight glimmer of hope for LaVine in the fourth quarter of Monday’s game, though, when he scored eight consecutive points for the Kings after finishing the first half with four. While it wasn’t enough to get the Kings past the defending champs, it’s certainly a promising sign that LaVine can overcome whatever it is he might be going through.

The competitor in him always will keep it real, but he also doesn’t want the team to get too ahead of itself after falling in a tight Western Conference playoff race.

“We understand the standings, but we just got to take it one game at a time and figure out how to get one,” LaVine said. “We can’t look too far ahead in that because if you do that, you start snowballing.”

While there’s still time to stay afloat, Monday’s slate of games didn’t help Sacramento’s chances with the Dallas Mavericks and Phoenix Suns right on their tail. Just last week, the Kings were 35-33 and two games above .500 while Dallas (33-37) and Phoenix (33-37) were four games below .500.

Six days later, the Mavericks, who beat the Brooklyn Nets on Monday, and the Suns, who defeated the Milwaukee Bucks, sit a half-game back of the Kings for the No. 9 seed.

“We’re aware,” Kings center Domantas Sabonis said postgame of the tight race in the West. “It’s a very tough position and every game matters. We just got to play our best basketball and win the most games we can.”

Things won’t get any easier for the Kings as they face the Oklahoma City Thunder, who sit way atop the West standings with a 59-12 record, Tuesday night on the second night of a back-to-back.

They then wrap up their seven-game homestead against the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday before embarking on a six-game road trip with visits to the Orlando Magic, Indiana Pacers, Washington Wizards, Charlotte Hornets, Cavaliers and Detroit Pistons.

While it undoubtedly has been a rough few days for the Kings during a crucial stretch of the season, Ellis countered LaVine’s comments about the vibes in the locker room.

“I think the vibes in the locker room are great, actually,” Ellis said, “but I just think on the court, we have to figure out how to come together a little bit more. But I think at times where you’re seeing those quarters where we’re not really scoring a lot, I think you just have to look at that as we’re not really as connected as we would like to be in a sense of playing a certain way consistently, and just trying to execute what we’re really trying to do. 

“So I think that’s where those moments of the vibe not being there together can kind of show. But we definitely all pull for each other, and we’re all wanting the best for each other. So I think off the court, without a doubt, the vibe is great. I think on the court is what we’re just trying to get better at.”

Some of the connectivity issues might stem from instability the team has endured in recent weeks and, really, over the past couple of months. From a head-coaching change to trading their franchise player while incorporating a bunch of new pieces, it has been a challenge for the Kings to find a consistent groove with so many missing parts.

And when it seemed like they came close to some sort of stability, injuries and absences wiped that all away.

Ellis believes that could be a contributing factor to the team’s connectivity conundrum. 

“For sure,” he said. “When your main guys go out, it’s kind of tough when you’re already adding in new pieces. So it definitely adds a little bit of a curveball to try to figure those things out as you’re moving forward. 

“But it’s just something that we have to do. Other teams aren’t really going to feel bad for us, so just have to figure out a way.”

As far as LaVine’s comments, Ellis isn’t too worried about it. Instead, he hopes the team collectively can do a better job of making his new teammate, and everyone else, feel in-tune.

“I don’t really put too much thought into it,” Ellis said of LaVine’s observation. “I mean, when we’re out there, we just have to try to pick each other up and try to eliminate that feeling. But I personally don’t worry about it too much. 

“I think we can do a better job at making sure that everyone feels like that we’re on the same page.”

With 11 regular-season games remaining, the Kings have one final shot to bring back the “immaculate” vibes. Things change fast in the West, so they’ll need to find a way to get back into the win column before it’s too late.

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Domas feels ‘horrible' for play that injured Tatum's ankle

Domas feels ‘horrible' for play that injured Tatum's ankle originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Domantas Sabonis is no stranger to injuries over the course of his NBA career — and especially the 2024-25 season.

So when the Kings center was charged with a Flagrant 1 foul after stepping on the ankle of Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum on Monday, he was filled with remorse.

“I feel horrible, you know,” Sabonis told reporters after Sacramento’s 113-95 loss to Boston at Golden 1 Center. “I’ve had a crazy month myself personally, you know, and you never want that to happen …

“So I apologize.”

The incident occurred with 3:35 remaining in the third quarter. Tatum drained a 3-point jumper, then fell to the floor in immediate pain after Sabonis landed on his foot while coming down from trying to block the shot.

The Celtics forward shot both of his free throws, making one, then was helped off the court as “MVP” chants from Boston fans in Sacramento rained down around him.

The Celtics listed Tatum as doubtful to return after the injury with a left ankle sprain, and he didn’t re-enter the game. After the contest, Boston coach Joe Mazzulla offered an update on Tatum but didn’t disclose if the Celtics star would miss any more time.

“He seems to be doing OK,” Mazzula told reporters. “He’s icing it right now. I didn’t see the play. They made the right call — it was a flagrant foul. Fortunate that he was able to shoot the free throws. [He’s] taking care of it right now.”

Sabonis on Monday was playing in his first game back after sustaining an ankle injury of his own in the Kings’ 132-122 win over the Memphis Grizzles one week prior. And when he was injured last Monday, he was playing in just his second game after missing six contests with a Grade 1 hamstring strain.

The Kings star knows how devastating injuries can be, and it’s clear Sabonis is sending well wishes to Tatum after the unfortunate play.

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3 observations after Sixers wrap up long trip with loss in New Orleans

3 observations after Sixers wrap up long trip with loss in New Orleans  originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Sixers’ long road is finally due to wind back to Philadelphia.

They wrapped up a 1-5 trip and dropped their fifth consecutive game Monday night, falling to a 112-99 loss to the Pelicans. 

Justin Edwards and Jared Butler scored 19 points apiece for the 23-49 Sixers.

Rookie Pelicans center Yves Missi tallied 16 points on 6-for-7 shooting and nine rebounds. Karlo Matković scored 19 points off the bench and Elfrid Payton dished out 14 assists. Kelly Olynyk had 14 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists.

The Sixers had nine players sidelined by injuries. Quentin Grimes also rested on the second night of a back-to-back. 

Here are observations on the Sixers’ defeat in New Orleans:

Edwards trending up beyond the arc

The Pelicans regularly beat the Sixers early in transition and did tons of damage inside. New Orleans posted the night’s first 16 points in the paint. 

The Sixers’ offense also wasn’t sparkling. The team started 2 for 10 from the field, though Edwards kept on knocking down shots. He sunk three first-quarter three-pointers and scored 11 of the Sixers’ 23 points in the opening period. 

Edwards has let jumpers fly his rookie year, rarely turning down open, in-rhythm looks. His results have been impressive lately, too.

Over the last five games, the lefty wing has gone 18 of 36 (50 percent) from long range. For the season, Edwards is up to 37.1 percent.

New faces in the mix

The Sixers rolled out their 48th starting lineup of the season. Butler, Ricky Council IV, Edwards, Chuma Okeke and Guerschon Yabusele opened the game. 

The second unit included Adem Bona, who returned from a five-game absence with a left ankle sprain. 

While slamming in a dunk in the second quarter, Bona took a hand to the eye from Matković. He exited the game but was deemed good to go for the second half. In 19 minutes, Bona finished with six points, seven rebounds, two steals and a block.

New Sixers 10-day contract signing Marcus Bagley made his NBA debut in the second quarter and hit a short push shot on his first attempt. Bagley was largely peripheral Monday, recording two points, two rebounds and a steal in 18 minutes.

Former Sixers two-way contract player Lester Quinones debuted for New Orleans and drilled a second-quarter three. For injury-riddled teams near the bottom of the standings like the Sixers and Pelicans, there’s seemingly a new face or two every game this time of year.

Not much comeback juice

Council and Yabusele each had frigid shooting starts. The pair combined to miss their first 10 field goals.

All of a sudden, just about every Sixers jumper began to fall. Yabusele made two straight triples in the third quarter. Council got a wide-open jumper off of a nice two-man action with Yabusele and canned it. An Edwards three capped a 15-2 run and gave the Sixers a 67-65 lead.

Okeke didn’t have a brilliant shooting night (4 for 9 from the floor, 2 for 6 from three-point range), but he again played a decent overall game and did a little bit of everything with 12 points, nine rebounds, four assists, a steal and a block. He recorded 20 offensive rebounds on the six-game trip. 

The Sixers’ lead was short-lived, which was not shocking given the context — few first-choice rotation players available, wrapping up both a back-to-back and an extended road trip. The Pelicans regained control and built their lead to 23 points early in the fourth quarter.

The Sixers will now rest a day and then kick off a three-game homestand Wednesday against another team in the NBA draft lottery picture, the 15-56 Wizards.

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Anthony Davis set to make his return to Mavericks' lineup Monday night vs. Nets

Anthony Davis has pushed to play again and Monday night he gets his wish.

Davis will return to the Mavericks lineup Monday night when Dallas takes on Brooklyn in New York, something Mavericks coach Jason Kidd confirmed pregame, adding Davis was on a minutes restriction (28). Davis has been out since Feb. 8, when he strained his adductor during his one game as a Maverick since the stunning trade that sent him to Texas for Luka Doncic.

Davis had pushed for this return despite Kyrie Irving being out for the season with a torn ACL and Dallas being in danger of sliding out of even the play-in (the Mavericks and Suns are currently tied for the tenth seed in the West and the final play-in spot). All the talk about how Dallas made a mistake with the Doncic trade likely plays into that (even though the frustration of Mavericks fans is not aimed at Davis).

Davis is averaging 25.7 points and 12 rebounds a game while shooting 52.8% from the floor and playing elite defense this season — he was on his way to an All-NBA spot before the latest injury.

If the Mavericks slide further out of the playoff picture over their final 11 games, even with Davis, he could get pulled to avoid risking further injury (some in the organization argued that should have happened anyway).

But starting Monday night, Davis is back. It's what he wanted.

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What we learned as Tatum, Celtics hand Kings third straight loss

What we learned as Tatum, Celtics hand Kings third straight loss originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

BOX SCORE

SACRAMENTO — The defending NBA champions were in town Monday night, and it was evident from before tip-off to the final second of regulation.

The Boston Celtics extended their win streak to six games with a 113-95 win over the Kings at Golden 1 Center. Sacramento has lost three consecutive games and dropped to 35-36 on the 2024-25 NBA season.

Kings star center Domantas Sabonis made his return to the court after missing the last three games with a moderate ankle sprain. But Sacramento was without Malik Monk (illness), Devin Carter (illness) and Doug McDermott (elbow).

Sabonis was back to his double-double ways, finishing with 16 points and 17 rebounds in 32 minutes. DeMar DeRozan also joined the double-double club Monday, finishing with a team-high 20 points and 10 assists.

Keon Ellis, starting in place of Monk, added 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting with three rebounds, four assists and two steals in 37 minutes.

But the reigning champs put on a show — especially six-time NBA All-Star Jayson Tatum, who exited the game early with an ankle injury. Payton Pritchard added five 3-pointers and finished with 22 points off the bench.

The last time these two teams met, the Kings went into a hostile TD Garden and upset the Celtics in their own building amid a seven-game win streak in January. That was not the case Monday.

Here are the takeaways from the Kings’ loss:

Sabonis returns 

The Kings got their star big man back Monday night – and everything he brings to the hardwood.

Sabonis has had a rough patch of injury luck. Earlier this month, Sabonis returned from a hamstring injury that kept him off the court for six games. The Kings went 2-4 over that stretch before Sabonis returned on March 14 against the Phoenix Suns. He played Sacramento’s next game against the Memphis Grizzlies before exiting that game early with an ankle injury.

The Kings went 1-2 in the most recent three-game stretch without Sabonis.

It is evident they’re a better team with their All-Star center. And that continued to be the case in Monday’s game.

Sabonis finished the game with 16 points on 6-of-10 shooting with 17 rebounds and one assist in 32 minutes.

It wasn’t enough to hold off the reigning NBA champions, but the Kings certainly are happy to have their star back.

Late-Night LaVine

Zach LaVine appears to be in a bit of a funk.

After missing last week’s game against the Cleveland Cavaliers due to personal reasons, LaVine’s shot has gone cold again.

He was 9 of 27 from the field and 2 of 11 from 3-point range over the last two games entering Monday’s game, and he had just four points at the half against the Celtics.

LaVine added two points in the third quarter, but appeared to have caught a quick spark in the fourth and final frame. He scored eight straight points for the Kings that led to a Celtics timeout in the fourth.

But it was too late for Sacramento, as Boston, even without Tatum, got the job done.

LaVine finished with 14 points on 6-of-16 shooting and 1 of 5 from downtown, with five rebounds, two assists and one steal in 37 minutes. While the Kings didn’t get the win, LaVine’s late surge hopes to be a good sign for Sacramento as the team prepares for the second night of a back-to-back against the Western Conference’s No. 1 seeded Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday.

Champs in town 

Golden 1 Center is home to some of the most passionate fans in the entire NBA. Even the greatest opposing players have discussed the challenge of playing in the building.

But it wasn’t an issue for the visiting Celtics on Monday, whose fans took over an arena 3,000 miles from Boston.

It looked like Mardi Gras inside the arena as Celtic green meshed with Kings purple by tip-off. “Let’s go, Celtics” chants broke out within the first two minutes of the game, and shortly after, “MVP” was belted aloud as Tatum shot free throws.

Jaylen Brown, who attended UC Berkeley about 75 miles away, received a warm welcome to Sacramento and greeted several fans in attendance pregame.

And the Celtics gave the hundreds of Boston fans at G1C something to cheer for.

Tatum, who exited the game early with an ankle injury, finished with 25 points on 8-of-15 shooting from the field and 5 of 9 from 3-point range, with seven rebounds and eight assists in 26 minutes.

Payton Pritchard was 4 of 9 from downtown and finished with 17 points off the bench.

Brown added nine points, Kristaps Porzingis had 16, Jrue Holiday had five and Derrick White contributed 12.

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Warriors reportedly considered offering Butler below max contract extension before deciding to go all-in

Golden State traded for Jimmy Butler as part of one final swing for the fences to try and bring another title to the Bay Area during the Stephen Curry era. The Warriors have gone 16-4 since that trade with an elite defense, making them look like a threat in the West — so far, so good.

Not long after trading for Butler, the Warriors rewarded him with a two-year, $112 max contract extension — the one Pat Riley very publicly said Miami would not give him, essentially striking a match to burn down that relationship. Butler got what he wanted most of all: to be paid.

However, the Warriors considered negotiating a deal for less than the max, until GM Michael Dunleavy Jr. stepped up for Butler, reports Anthony Slater at The Athletic.

Others in the decision-making tree debated whether they should either hold off on an extension offer or negotiate it below the max, team sources said. Dunleavy vouched for Butler, the player and person, and convinced ownership the financial pledge would prove worth it — a motivated Butler would view it as a signal of belief.

For the Warriors, this made sense — if you're swinging for the fences, don't hold back.

For 20 games, things have worked great for the Warriors and Butler. However, things have started great at other stops along Butler's career only for them to end with fast trades and burned bridges. What happens in the Bay Area remains to be seen, where the Warriors and a 35-year-old Butler (not to mention a 37-year-old Curry and a 35-year-old Draymond Green) are wed for a couple more years in a deep and talented West.