Pritchard’s 29-Point Masterclass Propels Celtics to Unexpected Blowout Over Kings

Boston’s parquet floor witnessed a remarkable rebound Friday night as Payton Pritchard erupted for 29 points, steering the Celtics to a decisive 112-93 triumph over the struggling Sacramento Kings. Alongside him, Baylor Scheierman’s 16 points and Neemias Queta’s double-double fueled a Celtics squad hungry to shake off the sting of their recent home defeat to Atlanta. The duo torched the nets with near surgical precision from beyond the arc, blending sharpshooting flair with a poised team effort that kept the Kings at bay all evening. Meanwhile, Sacramento, already shorthanded and mired in an eight-game losing skid, found little solace despite contributions from Zach LaVine and Nique Clifford as fatigue from a back-to-back showed clearly. This game wasn’t just a win; it was a statement—one that Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla leveraged fiercely, challenging calls and riding the wave of momentum that surged through TD Garden. Missing Jaylen Brown was a blow, sure, but the bench stepped up, reminding everyone this team’s depth is no accident. On the other side, the Kings face a crossroads on their grueling road swing, desperate to find answers before their upcoming clash in Washington. The echoes of this matchup ripple beyond the scoreboard, capturing the grit and grind of an NBA season’s relentless march. LEARN MORE

BOSTON (AP) — Payton Pritchard scored 29 points, Baylor Scheierman had 16 and the Boston Celtics rolled to a 112-93 win over the Sacramento Kings on Friday night.

Neemias Queta added 10 points and 15 rebounds for the Celtics, who rebounded from Wednesday’s home loss to Atlanta. Pritchard and Scheierman combined to shoot 9 of 13 from the 3-point line, while Derek White had nine assists.

Zach LaVine scored 17 points for Sacramento, which has lost eight in a row and played on the second night of a back-to-back Nique Clifford added 15 points.

Pritchard had 22 points and eight assists through two quarters as the Celtics held a commanding 72-46 lead entering the second half. Boston opened the game by hitting its first five shots and was 8 of 10 en route to a 15-point advantage after one quarter.

After Scheierman’s layup gave the Celtics a 21-point lead with 2:27 left in the opening half, the guard who started in place for the injured Jaylen Brown stayed hot with a 3-pointer that came with just over a minute left before halftime.

Even with Boston building on its already comfortable advantage in the third quarter, coach Joe Mazzulla challenged two calls and was successful each time. In the same quarter, the Celtics’ lead peaked at 31 points.

Brown was ruled out of Friday’s game with hamstring tightness and a knee contusion. His absence – his fourth of the season – coincided with a Brown bobblehead giveaway.

The Kings were missing Domantas Sabonis (knee), Keegan Murray (left ankle sprain) and Russell Westbrook (right foot soreness). Malik Monk returned to Sacramento’s lineup after missing Thursday’s game against Philadelphia.

Sacramento dropped to 3-22 on the road and 0-5 on its six-game road trip.

Members of the AFC champion New England Patriots were shown on the TD Garden videoboard during a pair of first-half timeouts. Cornerback Christian Gonzalez sat next to the scoring table, with DeMario Douglas, Jaylinn Hawkins, Craig Woodson and Kyle Williams also on hand.

Up next

Kings: Play the Wizards at Washington on Sunday night.

Celtics: Host the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday.

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA