Celtics bench proves worth, holds off Kings
The top-seeded Boston Celtics held off a 40-point display from De’Aaron Fox and a furious fourth-quarter rally to beat the Sacramento Kings 101-100 on Friday.
Boston, already assured of entering the playoffs as the NBA’s number one-ranked team, looked to be strolling to a comfortable victory after taking a 19-point lead midway through the fourth quarter.
But what looked like a formality for Boston came within a whisker of an implosion as Sacramento took advantage of the Celtics pulling their starters to give court time to their bench and roared back to take a 100-99 lead after a Fox 3-pointer with 27 seconds remaining.
However, Xavier Tillman’s floating jump shot restored Boston’s lead with seven seconds left and the Celtics held on to secure their 61st win of the season.
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla praised the grit of his team’s second unit in closing out the win, saying it augured well for the playoffs.
“I thought, ‘This is fun, this is awesome,’” Mazzulla said. “Couldn’t have simulated a better environment of stress, pressure, chaos. It’s the perfect environment to execute.
“When those guys are in, you hold them to the same standard as everyone else. I think they did a great job making plays.”
Payton Pritchard led Boston’s scoring with 21 off the bench while Kristaps Porzingis added 20 points with 11 rebounds and two assists.
Despite Sacramento’s defeat, the Kings are assured of at least a play-in place after the Houston Rockets were beaten 119-104 at home by the Miami Heat.
In other games on Friday, Milwaukee slipped to a third straight defeat, losing 117-111 at home to the eliminated Toronto Raptors, who had been on a 15-game losing streak.
The defeat was another blow to Bucks coach Doc Rivers as his team gears up for a tilt at the playoffs.
“I’m frustrated, we’re all frustrated, and I guess that’s a good thing,” Rivers said. “But frustration gets you nowhere. We’ve got to work ourselves through this.” AFP
Photo credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports
