BOSTON — The Celtics dropped another disappointing game at home, this time to the red-hot Kings 114-97 on Friday at TD Garden. That was their largest loss of the season. The Celtics dropped to 27-11, including 8-7 over their last 15 games. The Kings won their sixth straight game to get to 19-19.
The Kings came ready to play as they shot well early and put up 34 points in the first quarter. They also started 6-for-9 on 3-pointers as they punished the C’s. But the 3s and the offense cooled from there as the Kings scored 19 points in the second quarter. The C’s held a slim two-point lead by halftime.
The Kings weren’t about to go away, though. They blew the game open in the fourth quarter as the Garden crowd let out a few boos amid some home frustration. Sacramento build up a lead that peaked at 19 points in the fourth quarter as the C’s waved the white flag with a couple minutes left in the game. The Kings outscored the Celtics 38-21 in the final quarter.
Jaylen Brown had 28 points and five assists to lead the Celtics. Kristaps Porzingis added another 22 points and 10 rebounds. Domantas Sabonis paced the Kings with an impressive night, posting 23 points and a career-high 28 rebounds. Malik Monk added another 22 points and DeMar DeRozan had 24, though he was 9-for-26 from the field.
The Celtics face the Pelicans at 6 p.m. Sunday at TD Garden for their next game. Here are four takeaways from Boston’s loss to Sacramento:
Another home loss: The Celtics were sparkling on their home court last year when they put up a 37-4 record at the Garden. But after Friday’s loss, the C’s are now just 13-7 in Boston this season. That includes a 3-5 mark in their last eight home games — that’s more losses over an eight-game stretch than they had all of last season. The C’s were in a funk in December, going 8-6. The four-game road trip produced a 3-1 record, which looked like a sign of positive play to come. But the Celtics’ home woes continued Friday.
Starter struggles: It was a forgettable game for the C’s as their starters couldn’t quite find cohesion. Porzingis ended with a double-double, but he struggled shooting inside the arc, though he did go 6-for-7 from the free throw line. Jayson Tatum also had a double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds, but he had eight turnovers and shot 5-for-13 from the field. Derrick White shot 1-for-8 (0-for-6 on 3s) for three points while Jrue Holiday finished with just five points.
Dropping the margins: The Celtics struggled offensively for large stretches of Friday’s game, plus they didn’t win at those margins C’s coach Joe Mazzulla often talks about. The Kings had the edge in second-chance points 13-8 as they grabbed 16 offensive rebounds compared to the Celtics’ eight. The Kings also got out to the tune of a 17-7 advantage in fast-break points. Elsewhere, the C’s also shot just 11-for-41 (26.8%) on 3-pointers. The Kings got hot from deep in the fourth quarter, shooting 8-for-11 from deep.
Restless crowd: While the Garden has seen plenty of winning in recent years, they aren’t afraid to make their feelings known when the product on the court isn’t up to standard. There were some boos that came from the crowd midway through the fourth quarter as the Celtics let the visitors build up a massive lead. The boos weren’t deafening like in past years, but they were noticeable for the first time this season. By the end of the game, the disappointed crowd left early.
