» KINGS LOSE DESPITE HIELD’S 41 POINTS
BOSTON — Sacramento Kings guard Buddy Hield had another big game against the Boston Celtics, but this time it wasn’t enough.
Hield scored a career-high 41 points, but the Kings came up short in their bid to beat the Celtics for the second time in nine days, falling 103-102 on Monday night at TD Garden in Boston. Marcus Smart had two big baskets in the final minute after missing a shot at the buzzer in a 10099 loss Nov. 17 in Sacramento, when the Kings ended Boston’s 10-game winning streak.
The Kings had a chance to win the game at the buzzer, but Bogdan Bogdanovic’s 3-pointer and Cory Joseph’s putback attempt missed in the final seconds.
“I thought our guys played really hard tonight, really well, competed, continued to show improvement as a group,” Kings coach Luke Walton told reporters in Boston. “... We gave ourselves a chance to win and in an NBA season, it’s a long brutal season, most nights that’s all you’re really asking for is chance at the end and we had a chance, so I’m proud of the effort our guys put out.”
Hield scored 21 points in the third quarter and set a single-game franchise record with 11 3-pointers for the Kings (7-9), who had won seven of their last 10. Hield had 35 points in the win over the Celtics in Sacramento.
Jaylen Brown scored 24 points for the Celtics (12-4), who improved to 6-0 at home.
The Kings found themselves trailing 16-11 in the first period, but they ended the quarter with an 113 run to take a 22-19 lead. Sacramento went up by 11 on a 3-pointer by Harrison Barnes midway through the second, but the Celtics outscored the Kings 25-7 over the final 6:31 to carry a 53-46 lead into the halftime break following a 34-point quarter.
The Kings tightened up defensively at the start of the second half, outscoring the Celtics 9-2 over the first three minutes to tie the game. The Celtics momentarily regained control, but Hield’s thirdquarter barrage helped the Kings even the score again going into the fourth quarter, setting the stage for another dramatic finish between the two teams.
“He got his rhythm going and Buddy’s an incredible shooter and I think we, as a team, know when he gets hot, let’s find him, so a lot of it you have to give his teammates credit, too,” Walton said. “... He had a really, really impressive game for us tonight.”
The Kings played their third game in four nights and the second night of a back-to-back after beating the Washington Wizards 113-106 Sunday. They will visit the Philadelphia 76ers to conclude a four-game trip Wednesday before returning to Sacramento to play the Denver Nuggets on Saturday at Golden 1 Center.
Shorthanded Celtics — Celtics point guard Kemba Walker and forward Daniel Theis were ruled out shortly before the game. Small forward Gordon Hayward has been out since breaking his left hand against the San Antonio Spurs on Nov. 9.
Walker, a three-time All-Star, was wheeled off the court on a stretcher after colliding with teammate Semi Ojeleye in Friday’s 96-92 loss to the Denver Nuggets. He was held out against Sacramento as a precaution. Walker is averaging 21.1 points, 4.7 assists and 4.6 rebounds in his first season with the Celtics. He had 15 points and nine assists in Boston’s loss to the Kings on Nov. 17.
Theis missed the game due to illness. Theis had a double-double in the previous game against the Kings, posting 14 points and 10 rebounds.
Shorthanded Kings — The Kings are still missing point guard De’Aaron Fox, forward Marvin Bagley III and forward Trevor Ariza.
There is still no timetable for Fox’s return from a severely sprained ankle, but Bagley should be back soon. He will be reevaluated when the team returns to Sacramento after visiting the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday.
Ariza is away from the team due to personal reasons and was said to be recovering from right groin soreness when the Kings departed for this four-game road trip. The team told The Sacramento Bee on Monday there was no update on Ariza’s status.