When the Sacramento Kings and Boston Celtics meet on Tuesday night, both teams will be looking to rebound from their loss to the Utah Jazz.
When the teams meet for the second and final time during the regular season, the Celtics will be coming to the end of a six-game road trip and the Kings will be starting a four-game homestand.
On November 25, Boston defeated Sacramento 122-104 at home, led by 30 points from Jayson Tatum and 25 from Jaylen Brown.
When the Celtics played the Utah Jazz on Saturday, they lost 118-117, but Tatum only scored 15. Brown also scored 25 points. The loss, Boston’s second in five games on the trip, was led by Grant Williams, who scored 23 points in the loss.
Robert Williams III, the Celtics’ starting center, has missed the last eight games due to a strained left hamstring. He was given permission to face the Kings after he exercised on Monday, the day off.
Williams could help the Celtics, who may be running low on gas after a long, difficult trip across the country, if he is able to play. They won against the Atlanta Hawks, lost to the Houston Rockets by two points, won against the Minnesota Timberwolves and Portland Trail Blazers, and then went to Salt Lake City.
On Saturday, Boston watched the Jazz steal a one-point victory in their fifth game in eight days thanks to 17 offensive rebounds and Tatum’s poor offensive performance.
In both of the trip’s defeats, Tatum, an All-Star starter this season, failed to capitalize on crucial opportunities. After Saturday’s failure, he admitted that he wouldn’t mind if fellow All-Star Brown, or anyone else, attempted the heroics in the closing moments.
In Monday’s 128-120 loss to Utah, the Kings did not get a shot like that to win the game. De’Aaron Fox scored 37 focuses, Keegan Murray had 22 and Domantas Sabonis set up 11 to go with 12 bounce back and nine helps.
In their battle for the No. 1 seed, Sacramento (43-28) fell one game behind Memphis Grizzlies (44-27). 2nd place in the playoffs of the Western Conference.
The Celtics (49-23) currently hold the No. 2 spot in the East, half a game ahead of the 48-23 Philadelphia 76ers.
After the Kings won at Chicago, Brooklyn, and Washington, a 4-0 trip was prevented by Sacramento’s defeat at Utah.
The Kings were doomed after a 40-19 first quarter, and the ensuing high-energy rally to make it a close game could have an impact on the second night of a back-to-back.
During a homestand that could see the Kings secure their first playoff berth since 2006, they will also play host to the Utah Jazz, the Phoenix Suns, and the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Celtics have already secured a playoff berth in the Eastern Conference.
