Los Boston Celtics opened 2026 with a dominant road victory over the Sacramento Kingswinning 120-106 at the Golden 1 Center on Thursday, January 1, 2026.
Despite the absence of Jayson Tatum due to injury to the Achilles tendon, Celtics demonstrated their depth squad, with a bench that shone with 12 of 17 in triples.
Jaylen Brown led with 29 points, while the Kings, without Domantas Sabonis (knee) nor Zach LaVine (ankle), suffered in the fourth quarter, scoring only 18 points.
Celtics vs Kings summary January 1, 2026
Los Celtics They improved their record to 21-12, consolidating themselves in the Eastern Conferencewhile the Kings accumulated their defeat number 12 in the last 15 games.
The game had 10 lead changes and 11 ties, but Boston’s bench and its defensive stops in the final period marked the difference.
- First Quarter: Sacramento took a slight lead 29-28 with 56% accuracy and 8-16 in triples. Boston stayed close despite four turnovers, with Pritchard scoring early.
- Second Quarter: The Celtics came back 34-32, leading 62-61 at halftime. The bench exploded with 9-10 three-pointers, led by Simons (14 points) and Hauser (3-3 three-pointers).
- Third Quarter: Boston opened 12-5, but Sacramento responded with an 11-0 thanks to triples from Westbrook, DeRozan and Schröder, tying 88-88 at the end.
- Fourth Fourth: Boston dominated 32-18, with White scoring 14 points and a defense that stifled the Kings’ attack.
Las statistics of the team highlighted the superiority of the Celtics: they shot 50.6% from the field and 41.5% on three-pointers, outrebounding 54-39 and forcing nine turnovers against 12 of their own.
Sacramento, with 47.1% overall accuracy, faltered at the end, scoring only 18 points in the fourth quarter after a game competitive in the first three.
The best of Celtics vs Kings on the first day of the year
Jaylen Brown He was Boston’s star with 29 points (11-25 shooting), 10 rebounds and four assists, although he broke his streak of nine games with 30+ points.
Derrick White He contributed 16 points, seven assists, five rebounds, two steals and two blocks, with 14 points in the fourth quarter to seal the victory.
The Celtics bench was decisive: Sam Hauser with 15 points (5-7 in triples), Anfernee Simons with 14 (4-7 in triples), Payton Pritchard with 16 points and six assists, Luka Garza with 11 points and Nehemiah Queta with 13 points and three blocks.
For the Kings, DeMar DeRozan He led with 25 points (9-16 shooting), six assists and five rebounds.
Dennis Schröder added 18 points and seven assists, Keon Ellis 16 points, Precious Achiuwa 14 y Maxime Raynaud 12 points with eight rebounds.
Russell Westbrook He added 10 points and six assists, but the lack of depth was noticeable with rookies like Nique Clifford and Raynaud in extended minutes due to injuries.
What’s next for Celtics vs Kings?
The Celtics continue their tour of the West Coast, facing the Clippers in Los Angeles on Saturday, looking to extend their streak into another deep postseason run. This victory reinforces their status as a title contender in the 2025-26 NBA season.
Sacramento faces a challenge to turn around its season, with injuries aggravating their initial problems. They play on Friday, January 2 against the Suns a Phoenix.
