The Boston Celtics will be looking to avoid back-to-back home losses and may be without leading scorer Jaylen Brown when they face the Sacramento Kings on Friday night.
Boston had one of its worst shooting performances of the season and dropped a 117-106 decision to visiting Atlanta on Wednesday. The Celtics haven’t lost consecutive games at home since Nov. 1 (Houston) and Nov. 3 (Utah).
“The game … we just shut it off,” Boston coach Joe Mazzulla said. “They got the best of us. They played better than us. Just one of those nights for us. They played well and we didn’t. Just move on. … Just a bad day at the office.”
Brown was listed as doubtful on the initial injury report due to left hamstring tightness and a right knee contusion. He’s averaging 29.4 points, 6.8 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game this season.
Most of Boston’s problems against Atlanta came around the 3-point arc. The Celtics shot 26.5% from 3-point range (9 of 34) and their 34 3-point attempts were eight below their season average. Atlanta doubled Boston’s 3-point output by making 18 shots from beyond the arc. Four Hawks made multiple 3-pointers.
Boston’s starters were 3 of 19 on 3-point attempts. Brown was 0-for-5 from beyond the arc, and Derrick White was 1-for-5.
“I don’t think we played to our standard tonight,” Brown said. “I don’t think I played to my standard, and that was a part of it. The team feeds off of my energy as well. So being a leader, I got to be better. (Wednesday) I just didn’t have it. We just got to get ready for the next one, continue to navigate the season. It’s not going to be perfect every single night.”
Wednesday’s setback was Boston’s first double-digit loss since Dec. 11 in Milwaukee.
Sacramento had an 11-point lead over Philadelphia with 7:44 to play Thursday, but Tyrese Maxey broke a tie game on a layup with 1.3 seconds left to give the 76ers a 113-111 victory. The loss extended Sacramento’s losing streak to seven games and dropped the Kings’ road record to 3-21. Sacramento is 0-4 on its current six-game road trip.
Zach LaVine, Sacramento’s leading scorer (19.5 ppg), returned to the lineup and scored 17 points after missing the past two games due to lower back soreness.
Maxey’s basket came after Joel Embiid rebounded a DeMar DeRozan missed shot with 5.2 seconds left.
“These are the ones that are frustrating,” Sacramento coach Doug Christie said. “I have to be better for them and get a little bit more ball movement down the stretch to disguise where we’re going to, and make sure to still get the ball where we want it and how we want it, so they can’t load up on him (DeRozan).”
Brown also struggled to make 3-point shots in the first meeting between Boston and Sacramento this season. Despite going 1 of 9 from 3-point range, he had 29 points and 10 rebounds to steer the Celtics to a 120-106 victory in Sacramento on Jan. 1.
DeRozan tossed in a team-high 25 points for the Kings, who were within four points midway through the final quarter.
Boston center Neemias Queta did not play in Wednesday’s loss to Atlanta because of an illness, but is listed as probable for Friday’s game. Quetta is Boston’s leading rebounder (8.0).
