Sacramento Kings vs Boston Celtics Prediction & Match Preview - January 25th, 2022 | NBA Season 2021-22
The Sacramento Kings will travel to the East Coast to take on the Boston Celtics at TD Garden on January 25th.
The Kings will head into this game on the back of a 127-133 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. With their third loss in a row, they will look to improve upon their 16-30 record for the season.
Meanwhile, the Boston Celtics are coming off a 116-87 blowout win against the Washington Wizards. Snapping a two-game losing streak on the road, the Celtics will look to build on this momentum at home.
This will be the first matchup of the two-game season series between the sides. Although both teams will look to go one up for the season, the game may be a little one-sided.
Match Details
Fixture - Sacramento Kings vs Boston Celtics | 2021-22 NBA Season
Date & Time - Tuesday, January 25th, 2022; 7:30 PM ET (Wednesday, January 26th, 2022; 6:00 AM IST.)
Venue - TD Garden, Boston, MA.
Sacramento Kings Preview
Sacramento's loss to the Milwaukee Bucks saw the team fall to 16-30 on the season. With their third loss in a row, the Sacramento Kings have also logged a 2-3 record in their last five games.
The loss to the Bucks saw an impressive first quarter by the Kings. Recording 35 points against the Bucks' 27, Sacramento dominated the quarter. However, a strong first quarter was followed by an equally poor outing in the second quarter. With a significant deficit going into the second half, the Kings fought hard but came up short in the fourth quarter.
Solid performances by Harrison Barnes, Tyrese Haliburton and Terence Davis kept the Sacramento Kings within striking distance. Unfortunately, a poor outing by the Kings' bench would see an imbalance in scoring output.
The absence of De'Aaron Fox continues to be a major concern for the side. While Haliburton stepped into the role as the starting point, Fox gave the Kings an edge, which is hard to replace.
Key Player - Harrison Barnes
A key player for the Sacramento Kings in Tuesday's game will be Harrison Barnes. In the absence of De'Aaron Fox, Barnes is one of the most consistent players on the Kings roster. While also considering his role as a two-way player, Sacramento will look to the veteran to play a big role in this game.
Harrison Barnes is coming off a 29-point outing in the game against the Milwaukee Bucks. Shooting a highly efficient 11-18 from the field, Barnes also contributed with 3-6 shooting from beyond the arc on the night, which saw him reach a career milestone of 10,000 points.
Although his performance over the last 10 games has seen a drop off in his scoring averages, Barnes has recorded 20+ point games in three of their last five games. His contribution to the side will be equally essential on the defensive end as he takes on the task of covering Jayson Tatum.
Sacramento Kings Predicted Lineup
G - Tyrese Haliburton | G - Terence Davis | F - Harrison Barnes | F - Marvin Bagley III | C - Richaun Holmes
Boston Celtics Preview
The Boston Celtics are coming off one of their best wins of the season featuring a one-of-a-kind night by Jayson Tatum. The Celtics have a 24-24 record and find themselves at .500 again.
Although Boston has lost their last two games at home, this win on the road is a great motivator for the side. With Marcus Smart's recent return to the rotation, the Celtics have virtually no players out as they head into their next matchup.
The game against Washington could be considered a statement win. Although Boston recorded 13 turnovers for the game, they recorded a great three-point outing of 48.7% while also dominating on the rebounding front by securing 57 rebounds.
The performance bodes well for Boston as they log a 3-2 record in their last five games. Looking to improve and go over .500 in their next game, the Celtics will also attempt to ride the momentum from Tatum's tremendous performance.
Key Player - Jayson Tatum
Jayson Tatum will be a key player for the Boston Celtics in Tuesday night's game. A 51-point performance by Tatum on Sunday will see him as the focal point of Boston's offense yet again.
While Tatum's high scoring night was a highlight, he also paired it with seven assists and 10 rebounds to secure a double-double in his performance. Shooting 18/28 from the field, Tatum managed to break out his shooting slump from beyond the arc as he shot 9-14 on the night as well.
Jayson Tatum has always been a high volume shooter. This is reflected in the numbers he produces as he registers an average of 25.8 points per game for the season.
Tatum finding his rhythm is a great sign for the Boston Celtics. With the hope that he stays on a hot streak, the Celtics will head into this next game with a lot of momentum.
Boston Celtics Predicted Lineup
G - Marcus Smart | G - Jaylen Brown | F - Jayson Tatum | F - Al Horford | C - Robert Williams III
Kings vs Celtics Match Predictions
The Boston Celtics should emerge as the winners in this matchup against the Sacramento Kings.
Although the Celtics haven't been up to the mark playing at home, the Kings have been equally poor on the road. While also keeping in mind the current form Tatum is in coming off his last performance, Boston will head into this game with a head of steam.
This gives the Celtics a significant advantage in this matchup. Should the Kings find their stroke on the night, the game may take an interesting turn. However, the odds still favor Boston overall.
Where to watch Kings vs Celtics game?
The Sacramento Kings vs Boston Celtics game will be locally broadcast on NBC Sports Boston. The game will also be available on the NBA’s League Pass platform. Fans can listen to the game by tuning into 98.5 The Sports Hub as well.