Jan. 2, 2026, 1:07 a.m. ET
SACRAMENTO, CA — The Sacramento Kings started 2026 by suffering their 26th loss of the season, falling 120-106 to the Boston Celtics on Thursday, Jan. 1 at the Golden 1 Center.
Jaylen Brown led the Celtics with a double-double of 29 points and 10 rebounds. Seven Celtics scored in double-figures, including 16 apiece from Payton Pritchard and Derrick White. White gave Boston a huge fourth quarter boost, scoring 14 points in the final period.
Sacramento was led by veteran guard DeMar DeRozan with 25 points. Dennis Schroder provided 18 points and Keon Ellis added 16 off the bench.
Keegan Murray scored seven on 3-of-13 shooting from the field.
The Kings let the game slip away in the fourth quarter, as they were outscored 32-18.
“They’re a championship team so they know down the stretch where they’re going, things like that,” Murray told reporters after the Kings’ fourth quarter collapse. “At the end of the day, it’s a make or miss league and we’re missing and they’re making, and unfortunately that was … that was the game right there.”
The Kings fall to 8-26 and remain at 14th in the West. The Celtics move to 21-12, the third best record in the East.
Kings vs. Celtics highlights
Game notes
Kings jumped out to an 8-0 lead behind a quick five points from forward Precious Achiuwa. He had eight points in the first quarter.
Kings led 17-12 with 6:54 remaining. Celtics guard Payton Pritchard added seven points in the quarter for Boston.
Boston knocked down a couple 3s from Luka Garza and Anfernee Simons. After the first quarter, the Kings held a one-point lead, 29-28.
In the second quarter, both squads continued their tit-for-tat and exchanged buckets through the second quarter.
No one was able to pull away in the first half, as both the Kings and Celtics matched each other on 3-pointers, easy points in the paint and getting free throw opportunities.
The Celtics had the slight upper hand, though, going into the locker room at halftime with a 62-61 lead, led by backup guard Anfernee Simons with 14 points and Jaylen Brown with 10 points at halftime. The Kings were led by DeMar DeRozan with 12 points and Achiuwa had 10.
The Celtics opened the third quarter on a 7-0 run in the first two minutes, momentarily extending the lead to 69-61.
DeRozan stopped the run with a spin in the lane through traffic to get all the way to the cup for a layup. Russell Westbrook followed with his first made 3-pointer of the game.
Boston responded with a layup from Brown and a Sam Hauser long distance trey.
But the Kings continued to pour it on and took a three-point lead after DeRozan found Dennis Schroder along the 3-point arc in the left corner. The Kings took a 77-74 lead with under seven minutes in the third quarter.
Brown got things cooking in the third quarter, scoring 11 points in the period. The physicality intensified late in the third quarter. Achiuwa and Neemias Queta were assessed double technical fouls after jockeying for position during a jump ball and shoving each other.
The score was tied at 88 after 36 minutes.
It was a back-and-forth affair entering the final period where both teams continued to battle.
Celtics took an early five-point lead with 9:26 left in the game, but the Kings remained within striking distance.
The Kings couldn’t contain Jaylen Brown as Boston’s lead grew as large as 10 with under six minutes left in the game.
Celtics guard Derrick White, who was quiet all game, scored 14 points in the fourth quarter to help Boston pull away late in the game. Brown fouled out with 2:09 left.
The game was iced on a ferocious slam by a former King, Neemias Queta.
The Celtics won the game, 120-106.
Kings next five games
- Jan. 2 at Phoenix Suns
- Jan. 4 vs. Milwaukee Bucks
- Jan. 6 vs. Dallas Mavericks
- Jan. 9 at Golden State Warriors
- Jan. 11 vs. Houston Rockets