Holmes addresses Kings future after win
Kings center Richaun Holmes has put himself in a position to cash in as a free agent this summer, so he made a stop at the bank Friday night in Boston.
Holmes banked in a 3-pointer as the shot clock expired and blocked two shots by Jaylen Brown in the final minutes, helping the Kings beat the Boston Celtics, 107-96, at TD Garden.
Holmes posted his 15th doubledouble of the season and his fifth in the last six games, finishing with 25 points, 11 rebounds and three blocked shots. He made 7 of 11 from the field, converted 10 of 12 at the free-throw line and got a friendly bounce on his seventh 3point attempt of the season to give his team a four-point lead with 3:32 remaining.
“He can shoot the three,” Kings coach Luke Walton said. “Part of my negotiation for bringing him back next year is going to be to green-light him to shoot those.”
Holmes will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. At this point, Holmes doesn’t know if the Kings will trade him before next week’s deadline or resign him to a lucrative new deal this summer, but he made it clear he would like to remain in Sacramento.
“I can’t say enough how much I love this city, love these fans, love my teammates, love stepping out there with Sacramento on my jersey, representing this city,” Holmes said. “It’s been some of the best times of my life. The opportunity to play on the floor and be able to represent this city, the city that gave me the opportunity to come out here and embraced me with open arms — I love Sacramento and I love playing here.”
De’Aaron Fox scored a gamehigh 29 points for the Kings (17-24), who have won back-to-back games in the middle of their six-game road trip. Buddy Hield made 6 of 13 from 3-point range to finish with 22 points. Harrison Barnes also posted a double-double with 15 points and 13 rebounds.
Brown scored 19 points on 8-of20 shooting for the Celtics (20-21), who lost their third game in a row with team president Danny Ainge and the rest of the Boston brain trust sitting courtside. Kemba Walker added 16 points on 6-of-19 shooting. Jayson Tatum was held to 15 points on 6-of-16 shooting.
The Kings shot 45.7% and made 12 of 30 (.400) from 3-point range while holding the Celtics to 42.9% shooting. The Kings blocked nine shots, came up with six steals and
only sent the Celtics to the free-throw line seven times.
“Defensively, very proud of the group as far as the effort we gave tonight,” Walton said. “Defending without fouling, getting back, communicating, all the little things we’re always preaching about.”
The Kings made 10 of their first 15 shots to outscore the Celtics 26-16 over the first eight minutes. Sacramento led 28-22 at the end of the first quarter, pushed the lead back up to double-digits midway through the second quarter and carried a 55-45 advantage into the halftime break.
The Kings shot 48.8% in the opening half, knocked down 6 of 13 from 3-point range and converted 9 of 10 free-throw attempts. The Celtics shot just 38.3% and finished the half with more turnovers (9) than assists (8).