2021 NBA Summer League Championship Game: Sacramento Kings vs Boston Celtics Prediction & Match Preview - August 17th, 2021
The Sacramento Kings will square off against the Boston Celtics in the 2021 NBA Summer League final on 17th August.
The Sacramento Kings won their last summer league game 86-70 against the Dallas Mavericks, while the Boston Celtics prevailed over the Atlanta Hawks by an 85-83 scoreline.
The Boston Celtics, Sacramento Kings, Minnesota Timberwolves and New Orleans Pelicans all finished the preliminary round with 4-0 records, but the Celtics (+21) and Kings (+13.8) held tiebreaker advantages over the Timberwolves (+12.8) and Pelicans (+11.5) based on point differential.
Match Details
Fixture - Sacramento Kings vs Boston Celtics | NBA Las Vegas Summer League 2021.
Date & Time - Tuesday, August 17th, 9:00 PM ET (Wednesday, August 18th, 6:30 AM IST).
Venue - Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, NV.
Sacramento Kings Preview
The Sacramento Kings were utterly dominant in their display against the Dallas Mavericks, leading the game by as many as 20 points at one stage. They won the rebounding battle as well, and are expected to dominate the boards against the Celtics.
However, the Sacramento Kings will need to improve their shooting from downtown, as they shot just 24% from the deep against the Mavs. Jahmi'us Ramsey, Chimezie Metu and Davion Mitchell have been key contributors for the Sacramento Kings in the summer league, and are expected to shine on Tuesday as well.
Key Player - Davion Mitchell
Davion Mitchell had an impressive run during Baylor's title charge in NCAA March Madness, prompting the Sacramento Kings to pick him with the 9th overall pick in the draft. Mitchell has an unreal motor on defense, and he has hounded opposition guards and forwards for the entirety of games in the ongoing summer league.
Mitchell contributed on the offensive side of the ball as well, and him and Ja'hamius Ramsey have combined to average 27.5 points per game in the Summer League.
Sacramento Kings Predicted Lineup
G - Jahmi'us Ramsey, F - Louis King, G - Davion Mitchell, F - Chimezie Metu C - Neemias Queta
Boston Celtics Preview
The Boston Celtics have been the best offensive team in Las Vegas by some distance, averaging 100.0 points and 25.5 assists per game. They also lead the league in field-goal percentage (48%) and 3-point shooting (40%), which goes on to show that they excel in all departments when it comes to offense.
Aaron Nesmith has been in stellar form for the Boston Celtics, averaging 18.8 points and 6.2 rebounds per game. He is shooting 51.7% from the field and 39.3% from 3-point range and is likely to play a vital role for the Celtics against the Kings.
Key Player - Payton Pritchard
Payton Pritchard has been grabbing headlines lately because of a 92-point performance in the Portland Pro-Am. Before the 92-point effort, Pritchard had put up 60 points and now returns to the Summer League to win the title for the Boston Celtics.
Pritchard averaged 20.3 points, 8.7 assists, 5.7 rebounds and 2.0 steals in Boston’s first three games in the Summer League, shooting 51.4% from the field and 57.7% from 3-point range, and will be the Celtics' key player going into the final.
Boston Celtics Predicted Lineup
G - Payton Pritchard l G - Carsen Edwards l F - Romeo Langford l F - Aaron Nesmith l C - Bruno Fernando.
Kings vs Celtics Prediction
The Boston Celtics have looked the best side in the competition so far and should be able to make short work of the Sacramento Kings. The majority of the Celtics roster has NBA experience, and the duo of Aaron Nesmith and Payton Pritchard will be too hot to handle for the Kings.
Where to watch Kings vs Celtics
The game between the Sacramento Kings and Boston Celtics will be televised live on ESPN. Fans can also stream the match online via the NBA League Pass.