Celtics Wrap: Boston Erupts In Third Quarter To Crush Kings

The Boston Celtics defeated the Sacramento Kings, 144-119, at Golden 1 Center on Wednesday night.

With the win, the Celtics improved to 21-6 while the Kings dropped to 16-10.

Check out the full box score here.

ONE BIG TAKEAWAY
From the get-go, Boston was in for a challenge.

Jayson Tatum was ruled out hours before tip-off, leaving a huge void for the Celtics to fill against a Kings offense that’s among the NBA’s most dominant. In the first quarter alone, Boston and Sacramento combined to drain 19 shots from beyond the arc — setting the tone for the rest of the night.

By halftime, both teams combined to tie an NBA record by each knocking down 14 3-pointers.

Coming out after that shared offensive clinic, the Celtics piled on, outscoring the Kings, 39-24, in the third quarter. Kristaps Porzingis, while making his return to the lineup and working around what appeared to be a sprained ankle injury during a shot attempt, added 14 points in the runaway frame.

That stellar output buried Sacramento along with Boston’s stigma as the weakest third-quarter team in the NBA.

Five Celtics finished with 20-plus points — Porzingis, Jrue Holiday, Derrick White, Jaylen Brown and Payton Pritchard.

The defense also wasn’t too shabby as the Celtics recorded 10 blocks and six steals while toying with the Kings on the fast break — Boston scored 30 fastbreak points to Sacramento’s six.

Boston’s now won six of its last seven games.

STARS OF THE GAME
— White came through with a 28-point showing on 10-of-13 shooting, connecting on six 3-point attempts to go along with seven assists and three blocks.

— Porzingis got busy all around the floor, scoring 24 points with nine rebounds and a game-high six blocks.

— Sacramento’s De’Aaron Fox still gave the Celtics problems, contributing a game-high 29 points on 9-of-16 shooting with three steals.

WAGER WATCH
FanDuel Sportsbook set the odds of White connecting on at least four 3-point attempts at +200, which he had no issue clearing. White went 5-for-6 from beyond the arc by halftime in part of an elite 21-point first-half performance. A $100 wager on White would’ve netted a $300 total payout.

UP NEXT
The Celtics continue their West Coast road trip and will next take on the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday. Tipoff from Crypto.com Arena is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET.