Buzzer beater: News, notes, analysis from Kings’ 100-99 win over Boston Celtics
For the second time in less than 48 hours, the Kings battled one of the NBA’s best teams to the final buzzer. This time they came out on top, beating the Boston Celtics 100-99 on Sunday at Golden 1 Center to end their 10-game winning streak.
Buddy Hield scored a season-high 35 points for the Kings (5-7), who suffered a 99-97 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night. Bogdan Bogdanovic had 12 points and 10 assists.
Jaylen Brown scored 18 points to lead the Celtics, who had not lost since falling to the Philadelphia 76ers in their season opener.
The Kings came out strong in the opening period to build up a 13-point advantage. They led 30-18 at the end of the first quarter after shooting 45.8 percent while holding the Celtics to 30.4 percent from the field.
The Celtics (10-2) gradually cut into the Kings’ lead in the second quarter. Sacramento still led 50-46 at the halftime break, but Boston went up 56-55 on a basket by Brown with 8:07 to play in the third.
The Kings tied the game a number of times in the fourth quarter and finally took an 88-87 lead on a corner 3-pointer by Hield with 5:02 remaining.
Jason Tatum converted a three-point play and drained a corner 3 to help the Celtics reestablish a five-point lead, but the Kings kept fighting. They got within two on a 3-pointer by Bogdanovic and took a 96-95 lead on a 3 by Hield.
Boston reclaimed the lead on a dunk by Daniel Theis, but Richaun Holmes made two free throws with 13.3 seconds to play, putting the Kings up 100-99. The Celtics had a chance to win it at the buzzer, but Kemba Walker’s floater rolled off the rim as time expired.
Kemba the closer
Three-time All-Star Kemba Walker went into the game averaging 24.5 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4.6 assists for the Celtics. He was shooting 42.3 percent from 3-point range and 49.1 percent from the field in fourth quarters, well above his season mark of 41.2 percent. Kings coach Luke Walton said Walker is one of the few players in the league who is capable of taking over in the fourth quarter.
“There is a group of them and they’re high skill, they’re super competitors, All-Stars, and most of them have been in the league for a while,” Walton said. “They realize during the flow of the game, you’ve got to get the team going, and then they take over in the fourth, which is what makes them special. He’s one of those guys.”
No fine for Hield?
The NBA announced Saturday that officials erred when they whistled Kings forward Harrison Barnes for the foul that sent Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James to the line for the go-ahead throws with 5.5 seconds remaining Friday at Staples Center. The last two-minute report noted the call by referee Rodney Mott was incorrect and James should have been called for an offensive foul for extending an elbow to Barnes’ chin as he started to drive from the perimeter.
That play was a source of frustration for Hield, who mentioned Mott by name while criticizing the officiating in his team’s 99-97 loss to the Lakers. Hield had not been fined by the league as of Sunday afternoon. Earlier this month, Celtics guard Marcus Smart was fined $15,000 one day after he publicly criticized the officiating in his team’s win over the Charlotte Hornets on Nov. 7.
Veteran leadership
Walton recently talked about the veteran leadership he has seen from Trevor Ariza, Cory Joseph and Harrison Barnes, noting that Ariza called out a teammate for a lack of effort at practice.
“There are habits that we need to continue to break and work on,” Walton said. “What also helps is having guys like Trevor, Cory (and) Harrison at practice every day. It’s one thing for coaches to stay on players all the time. Fox example, the other day, someone doesn’t box out at the end of a drill and Trevor snaps on them, says ‘We’re 3-6. We don’t think we have to box out?’ He used different language than that, but when we have vets that have won championships that are reinforcing the same idea, I think that gets through to the team a little bit, too.”
Game-time decision
Ariza was listed as questionable going into the game due to a sore right groin. Walton said he would be a game-time decision. Ariza’s status appeared to be in doubt when he went back to the locker room after participating in pregame warm-ups, but he returned to the bench prior to tip-off and rode a stationary bike in the tunnel before checking in for the first time at the start of the second quarter.
Injury report
Kings: OUT – De’Aaron Fox (ankle), Marvin Bagley III (thumb), Caleb Swanigan (ankle). Celtics: OUT – Gordon Hayward (hand).
Sacramento Kings upcoming schedule
Nov. 19 vs. Phoenix Suns
Nov. 22 at Brooklyn Nets
Nov. 24 at Washington Wizards
Nov. 25 at Boston Celtics
Nov. 27 at Philadelphia 76ers
This story was originally published November 17, 2019 at 3:01 PM.
