Life without Sully might not be easy.
The Celtics, playing without their leading scorer and rebounder, started their three-game western road trip with a 109-101 loss at Sacramento on Friday. Avery Bradley led the Cs with 28 points, and Tyler Zeller had 22, but the Celts were overpowered by the deeper Kings. DeMarcus Cousins had 31 points and 15 boards while Rudy Gay added 28 points. Although Boston scored 38 points off 24 Sacramento turnovers, the Kings held a 57-40 rebound advantage and shot the last 16 free throws attempted in the game.
The Celtics suited up just 10 players. Sullinger is out indefinitely with a left foot stress reaction, and Kelly Olynyk was sidelined for the 12th straight game with a sprained right ankle. The three new Celts, guard Isaiah Thomas and forwards Jonas Jerebko and Luigi Datome, were not yet with the team.
In pregame, Brad Stevens predicted the Kings would be fired up for their first game under new head coach George Karl. But Boston quickly took the crowd out of the game, opening with 7-0 run, 5 from Tyler Zeller, who started for Sully. The lead grew to 16-2 as the Celtics shot 7-9 – including a Brandon Bass corner 3 – and the Kings committed 6 turnovers. After 7-plus minutes it was 23-9 and Cousins had already gotten a technical foul. The lead peaked at 16 and Zeller had outscored Cousins 13-8.
After both teams went to the bench, momentum changed as if someone had flipped a switch. Over the last 3:26 of the quarter, Sacramento’s second unit ripped off a 17-0 run to take a 28-27 lead. The Kings had 8 TOs but shot 60% for the quarter.
With only 10 healthy players, the Celtics used a bizarre lineup of Gerald Wallace (at center!), Phil Pressey, Brandon Bass, James Young and Jae Crowder. As you might expect, this group produced no offense, allowing the Kings to extend to a 40-33 lead.
Brad Stevens reinserted the starters and the Celts bounced back, tying the score on a 7-0 run. It didn’t last long: consecutive 3s by Rudy Gay and Omri Casspi keyed a Sacramento 10-0 run. Shavlik Randolph saw his first action since being traded to Boston a month ago, tallying 2 points, 3 boards in 5 minutes. Shav also stood his ground against Cousins’ attempts to intimidate. Despite 15 TOs, Kings led at the break, 56-51.
The Kings missed their first 5 shots of the 3rd quarter, but maintained their lead. Cousins picked up his scoring and the Kings got a 5-point swing when Smart stole a pass but couldn’t finish on the break, then Ben McLemore hit a 3 in transition. Bradley caught fire from outside, scoring 11 in the quarter, and Marcus Smart caused several TOs and hit a big 3. But Cousins threw down a fast break dunk (video below) that ignited the crowd.
Young, who struggled on offense, made a sweet running shot with an and-one, but missed the FT. After Crowder threw away an alley oop pass, Gay was fouled with 1.8 seconds left and made both, sending the Kings to an 82-74 lead at the quarter.
In the 4th, newly acquired point guard Andre Miller hit a couple of shots and made several veteran plays for the Kings, helping them keep the Celtics at arm’s length. Then Crowder and Evan Turner hit back-to-back 3s to bring the Celts within 89-87 with 8:32 remaining.
After Crowder missed not only a fast break layup but 2 putbacks, the Celts got another offensive rebound and Zeller’s 3-point play gave the Celts their first lead of the second half, 90-89, with 6:30 left. But it was their last lead of the night. Cousins muscled in a layup to retake the lead. After 2 Kings FTs, Bradley responded with a twisting layup off a steal by Turner. Gay and Cousins each hit a pair of FTs to put Sacramento ahead 99-94 with 3:10 left.
With the Celts down by 7 and the game slipping away, Bass rebounded a Rudy Gay miss, but fell asleep as Gay snuck in to steal it back. Gay was fouled and hit both, making the lead 9 with 1:29 remaining. Miller then drew a charge on Bass and, after a Casspi offensive rebound, hit 2 FTs to put it out of reach.
The Green:
Zeller, who averages 11 points per game, had 17 at halftime, while Bradley had 15 at the break.
The Celtics starters were +28 for the game.
Although Crowder was victimized by Boogie’s highlight reel dunk, Jae got revenge moments later by dunking on Cousins to finish a fast break.
The Gross:
Boston shot only 40%, was 6-22 from 3, and missed 11 FTs.
The Celtics bench was -68.
Smart’s 3-pointer in the 3rd quarter was taken off the board when video review showed a loose ball foul occurred before the shot.
DeMarcus Cousins has a ton of talent, but it must be a chore for fans to watch him every game. The tantrums, the scowls, the technicals – completely unlikable.
Cousins committed 9 turnovers and was T’d up.
Cousins and Smart are like oil and water. With 4:31 left in the 2nd quarter, Boogie elbowed Marcus in the throat. Officials reviewed it but called a common foul, not a flagrant. In their last meeting, Cousins was ejected after flinging Smart to the floor in the 4th quarter.
Nik Stauskas, 8th pick in the last draft, is a total non-factor for Sacramento. DNP-CD.
The Greenlights:
Monster jam by Boogie (Kings’ announcers)
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-Jb64IHndU]
The Grid:
- Career highs were set by Smart with 5 steals and Zeller with 6 assists.
- Sacramento was without injured guard Darren Collison and forward Reggie Evans.
- Thomas, Jerebko and Datome may debut Sunday in Los Angeles.
- Celts next play at the L.A. Lakers on Sunday, 9:30 p.m. ET, and the Phoenix Suns on Monday, 9 p.m. ET.
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