The Celtics will return to Boston from their six-game road trip with a win after defeating the Kings 132-109 on Tuesday. This win marks 50 on the season, as the Celtics concluded their road trip with a 4-2 record.
This was a win the Celtics needed, and they came through against a Kings team that currently holds the third-best record in the Western Conference. Boston concludes what has been a weird road trip with one of their best performances of the month.
The Celtics’ offense put on a clinic Tuesday night, finishing the night 49 of 92 (53.3%) from the field and 18 of 44 (40.9%) from three, with all five starters finishing in double figures. Boston is now 27-1 on the season when they shoot over 40% from three in a game.
After closing the first half on a 13-2 run — behind seven Jayson Tatum points in the final 2:16 — Boston carried that momentum in the third quarter, where they were able to put the Kings to bed. The Celtics scored 40 points in the third quarter on 15-for-22 (68.2%) shooting from the field and 7-for-12 (58.3%) from 3-point range, while also racking up 11 assists and just one turnover. Boston was able to build a 19-point lead in the third quarter, which was too much for Sacramento to climb out of.
With the win, the Celtics are once again a full game ahead of the 76ers for the second seed in the Eastern Conference and two games behind Bucks for the one seed. The Celtics will see each Philadelphia and Milwaukee once more this season.
Here are three takeaways from the Celtics’ much-needed 132-109 blowout win over the Kings:
Offensive Balance
A major reason the Celtics’ shooting percentages were so high in Tuesday’s win was their ball movement. Boston totalled 33 assists on 49 makes, as they are now 14-3 when they record at least 30 assists. To go along with the 30 assists, the Celtics also turned the ball over just five times — a new season-low. This comes after Boston had just six turnovers Saturday night in Utah.
The Celtics are now 9-1 when they turn the ball over fewer than 10 times and 30-5 when they have under 12 turnovers. Boston has done a good job taking care of the ball for the most part this season, which is encouraging because that was their Achilles heel last post season.
Boston was also very aggressive on Tuesday, totalling 56 points in the paint, 46 of which game in the restricted area, while also getting to the free-throw line 23 times. When Boston finds that balance of being able to score both from deep and in the paint, they are tough to beat — and a lot of that hinges on their ball movement.
Jayson Tatum breaks slump
Tatum has been in a bit of slump as of late, but he was able to break out of that on Tuesday night. Tatum finished with 36 points on 14-for-25 (56%) shooting from the field, and he turned the ball over just once.
Tatum was attacking the basket and working the post which was very encouraging to see. Twenty of Tatum’s 36 points came in the paint, with 14 coming in the restricted area. Tatum also got to the free-throw line 11 times on the night, although he only knocked down six.
Tatum is at his best when he is getting down hill, and that was on display in Sacramento. When Tatum is making his threes, he is one of the most dangerous scorers in the league, but he doesn’t need to rely on the three ball as much as he has been. Tatum shot just 2 of 7 (28.6%) from three on Tuesday night, but still finished with a game-high 36 points.
During the six-game road trip, Tatum shot just 14-for-58 (24.1%) from three, which is part of the reason he struggled so much. With a 6-foot-8 frame, Tatum needs to get to the rim and utilize the post more like he did Tuesday night.
Robert Williams makes his return
Williams made his return to the Celtics’ lineup after being sidelined since March 3 with a hamstring injury. Williams’ impact was felt right away as he grabbed seven boards, dropped six points and recorded a block in 20 minutes of play.
A healthy Robert Williams could very well be the difference in whether or not the Celtics are able to hang banner 18. Boston was out-rebounded 394-364 across the eight games Williams was sidelined.
Oftentimes, the rebounding battle has decided games for the Celtics this season. Boston is 29-5 when they have the edge in rebounding and 17-18 when out-rebounded, so having Williams back is huge for the C’s.
With just nine games remaining in the regular season and the top of the Eastern Conference so competitive, Boston is going to need all the wins it can get, and the C’s will have a good chance to build off this one in their upcoming three-game homestand.
Boston will see the Pacers, Spurs and Wizards, all of which are at least eight games under .500, before traveling to Milwaukee to take on the Bucks in a game that will decide the season series on March 30.