Boston Celtics vs Sacramento Kings

The Sacramento Kings and Boston Celtics are set to clash at the Golden 1 Center on Monday night in an NBA showdown. The Kings (35-35) currently sit in ninth place in the Western Conference, while the Celtics (52-19) hold the second spot in the Eastern Conference standings.

Sacramento has been struggling recently, losing six of their last eight games, including a 114-108 home defeat against the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday.

DeMar DeRozan and Keon Ellis combined for 42 points and 10 assists, but the Kings shot just 45% from the field and managed to hit only nine of their 38 attempts from beyond the arc. Offensively, Sacramento has dropped to ninth in scoring, averaging 116.5 points per game, while their defense ranks 21st, conceding 115.8 points per contest.

On the other hand, the Boston Celtics are in excellent form, currently riding a five-game winning streak after securing a 129-116 road victory over the Portland Trail Blazers last night.

Jayson Tatum led the charge with 30 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists, while Sam Hauser added 24 points, all coming from three-pointers. The Celtics have been dominant on both ends of the floor this season, ranking seventh in scoring with 116.7 points per game and third in defensive efficiency, allowing just 108.0 points per contest.

The Sacramento Kings are set to take on the Boston Celtics on Monday, followed by a matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday. They will wrap up their seven-game homestand on Thursday against the Portland Trail Blazers at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento.

All-NBA center Domantas Sabonis fully participated in Sunday’s practice but remains questionable for Monday’s game after sitting out the last three contests due to a right ankle sprain. Malik Monk and Devin Carter are also listed as questionable due to illness.

The Celtics, currently playing on the second night of a back-to-back, will not release their injury report until Monday afternoon. However, they may be short on key players after Jaylen Brown, Jrue Holiday, and Kristaps Porzingis were sidelined for Sunday’s game against the Trail Blazers.

The Kings (35-35) hold the ninth spot in the Western Conference, maintaining a 1.5-game lead over the 10th-seeded Phoenix Suns and 11th-seeded Dallas Mavericks. They trail the sixth-seeded Golden State Warriors by 5.5 games, the seventh-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves by five games, and the eighth-seeded Los Angeles Clippers by 4.5 games, with 12 regular-season games remaining.