Check out Xavier Tillman’s heroic fourth quarter shot that lift the Celtics past the Kings.
The Boston Celtics squeaked past the visiting Sacramento Kings Friday night, securing a 101-100 victory thanks to a heroic shot in the final moments of the game from forward Xavier Tillman. The shot put Boston ahead with just a few seconds remaining, while a chaotic defensive sequence on the opposite end sealed the deal.
It was an exciting game, made even more intriguing thanks to head coach Joe Mazzulla. Early in the fourth quarter with his team holding a small lead, Mazzulla opted to rest his starters and instead rely on his bench players to provide a victory. Boston’s reserves played well, but Sacramento was able to stage a comeback, and even grabbed a one-point late into the game. This set the stage for Tillman’s game-winning shot.
Check out Tillman’s heroic play and the other top highlights from the game courtesy of NBC Sports Boston’s YouTube channel.
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Let’s take a look at some of the best moments captured in images in the Celtics’ 75th game of the 2023-24 NBA season vs. the Kings.
Even though the Boston Celtics have little to play for apart from momentum heading into the NBA’s 2024 Playoffs, the Celtics managed to eke out a 101-100 win vs. the Sacramento Kings at TD Garden on Friday night. Even with key players out injured or on the bench to finish the game, they found a way to win.
With coach Joe Mazzulla using the tilt to test a number of things, it’s hard to take too much from the tilt in terms of the game itself. But it was a good showing for Boston’s bench mob to hold off a hungry Kings squad desperate to log a win and help their standings in the Western Conference postseason seeding rush currently underway.
Let’s take a look at some of the best moments captured in images in the Celtics’ 75th game of the 2023-24 NBA season vs. the Kings.
Former Duke player Lindsey Harding wins the G-League Coach of the Year. She is the first woman in NBA history to win the award.
Former Duke women’s basketball player Lindsey Harding made history on Tuesday after she was named the G-League Coach of the Year.
Harding became the first woman in NBA history to win the award after she led the Stockton Kings to a G-League-best 24-10 record.
She led the Kings to this record in just her first season as Stockton’s head coach.
Harding played at Duke from 2002 to 2007, winning both National Player of the Year and National Defensive Player of the Year honors as a senior before becoming the No. 1 overall pick in the 2007 WNBA Draft.
After missing two months due to a sprained ankle, Sasha Vezenkov returned and helped the Kings beat the Jazz.
After missing two months due to a sprained ankle, Sasha Vezenkov returned on Sunday and helped the Sacramento Kings to a 127-106 victory at home over the Utah Jazz.
Vezenkov missed seven games after sustaining the injury on Jan. 22 in a win over the Atlanta Hawks. He played in two games before reinjuring the ankle in practice on Feb. 10 and was just cleared to face the Jazz.
The former EuroLeague MVP recorded five points, two rebounds, two steals and one assist in 10 minutes off the bench for the Kings, who also had Trey Lyles (knee) back after a nine-game absence. He had 11 points and four rebounds.
Kings coach Mike Brown explained what they provide the team.
(Their) size just helps, especially on the glass. You got both of those guys — whether they come up with it or not — battling for it and hitting bodies. (They’re) guys that are used to taking big shots. They both are really, really good 3-point shooters, so you have to guard them outside of that line, which opens up the floor a little bit more for everybody else. Defensively, they’re just going to play their behinds off. They’re going to try to play the right way and play very, very hard. To have that added veteran depth is big for us at this point of the season.
Vezenkov is averaging 5.6 points and 2.4 rebounds on 38.6% shooting from 3-point range in 36 appearances this season with the Kings. He ranks third among rookies in 3-point percentage and has scored in double figures seven times.
The 28-year-old figures to give the Kings a boost in the lineup and another body over the last eight games of the season and into the playoffs. They recently lost Malik Monk for 4-6 weeks due to a knee injury and will have to rely further on their depth.
Vezenkov has been a tremendous floor spacer for the Kings this season, given his quick release and pinpoint accuracy. He figures to bolster the Kings’ offense when he is on the court.
Sasha Vezenkov hasn’t played since before the All-Star break, but the 28-year-old believes he is progressing in his recovery.
Sasha Vezenkov hasn’t played with the Sacramento Kings since before the All-Star break due to a sprained right ankle, but the 28-year-old believes he is progressing in his recovery.
Vezenkov missed seven games earlier this season after sustaining the injury on Jan. 22 in a win over the Atlanta Hawks. He returned to play in a pair of games before reinjuring the ankle in practice on Feb. 10 in Oklahoma City.
The former EuroLeague MVP said Thursday that he doesn’t have a timetable to return and is just working to get back to full strength before returning to the court.
I’m feeling better, getting to the right direction. I’m trying every day hard. Unfortunately, it is a second injury to the same leg (and has) been like 15 days. I’m trying. It is the first time in my career I’m out so long, so it is stressful. I want to help the team, but I’m trying to be 100% to be ready to help the team.
Vezenkov is averaging 5.6 points and 2.5 rebounds on 38% shooting from 3-point range in 35 appearances this season with the Kings. He ranks third among rookies in 3-point percentage and has scored in double figures seven times.
He signed a three-year, $20 million contract with the Kings last summer after spending five years with Olympiacos in Greece. He was named the MVP last season after averaging 17.2 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.9 assists on 38.3% shooting from 3-point range.
Vezenkov has been a tremendous floor spacer for the Kings this season, given his quick release and pinpoint accuracy. He figures to bolster the Kings’ offense once he returns.
With the San Antonio Spurs officially out of playoff contention, [autotag]Blake Wesley[/autotag] is focused on finishing the season strong. He provided a couple of examples of that in losses to the Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets on March 11 and 12 respectively.
Wesley had only four points but dished out three assists against the Warriors before collecting three assists and 10 points against the Rockets. For the week, he averaged 5.3 points and 2.0 assists a game.
[autotag]Pat Connaughton[/autotag] had seven points and four rebounds in the Milwaukee Bucks’ March 12 loss to the Sacramento Kings. He improved upon that with nine points, three rebounds and four assists March 14 in beating the Philadelphia 76ers. That was the highlight of a week in which he averaged 6.3 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.7 assists a game.
If you want to know how Notre Dame’s NBA representation looked for the photographers during the past week, we have you covered with these photos:
Why did D’Angelo Russell say he didn’t know what was at stake during the Lakers’ game versus the Kings on Wednesday?
Several days ago, the Los Angeles Lakers still had a slim chance of climbing the Western Conference standings and finishing in the top six. Such a finish would allow them to bypass the play-in tournament and make the playoffs outright.
Such a finish would also earn the team some extra rest right before the playoffs begin, something that would benefit LeBron James, who has been dealing with an ailing ankle.
But L.A. lost to the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday, literally ending any real shot it had at getting the sixth seed. Sacramento entered the game in seventh place two games ahead of the Lakers, making it a critical contest for the Lakers.
D’Angelo Russell said after the game that he didn’t know what was at stake in terms of the standings. ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith took Russell to task as a result (h/t Lakers Daily).
“That’s embarrassing,” said Smith. “He should be ashamed of himself. And nobody else gon’ say it. I’m gon’ say it. That is inexcusable. You’re a guard on this team. We know how much of a liability you are on the defensive side of the ball. They rely on your offense. You’re not gonna always have it — I get that.
“It’s not about the points. It’s not about the lack of offensive production in those two games. It’s about the fact that you sat up there in front of a microphone with the cameras rollin’ and talkin’ about you didn’t know what was at stake.”
To make matters worse, Russell, who has been playing very well over the last two months, shot 2-of-9 and scored just six points versus the Kings. He attempted one shot and went scoreless in the decisive third quarter, a quarter in which the Kings outscored the Lakers, 28-17, and took control of the game.
The Purple and Gold are now in 10th place with a 36-32 record and are three games behind the eighth-place Phoenix Suns. Meanwhile, Sacramento has clawed its way into sixth place.
“He has stringed together a really good group of games,” Rockets coach Ime Udoka says of Jalen Green’s recent growth. “Not just offensively, but all around.”
Based on their performance in March, is it safe to call the Houston Rockets “road warriors?” That might be an exaggeration. But after Sunday’s win in Sacramento extended their road winning streak to three games, they are making at least a small case for it.
Those three victories, including two over likely playoff-bound teams in the form of the Kings and Phoenix Suns, have been impressive. Across the board, Houston has used excellent ball movement and staunch defensive efforts to silence those home crowds.
On the whole, the Rockets have been putrid on the road. Even after the last three wins, their road record remains just 8-24 this season, and this the first time that Houston has won more than two straight road games. This time, however, Ime Udoka’s squad has looked better as a collective unit while featuring a complete team effort.
Third-year shooting guard Jalen Green has improved in away games and has gotten used to playing in hostile environments. That became evident when he was booed every time he touched the ball at Footprint Arena, home of the Suns, after his altercation with Bradley Beal (which led to Beal’s ejection from the game).
Over his last five road games, Green has averaged 26.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game while shooting 42.2% overall.
“He has stringed together a really good group of games,” Udoka said from Sacramento. “Not just offensively, but all around. He is making some great passes and some great reads out of the pick-and-roll.”
Green’s backcourt mate, Fred VanVleet, has also imposed his veteran leadership during the three-game road winning streak by controlling the offense. Houston has looked much cleaner on the offensive side of the ball, with VanVleet making sure that everyone is in the right spot and that the ball does not stagnate.
As a scorer, VanVleet has increased his output to 21.3 points per game in those three road wins. But his 10.0 assists average, while only committing 2.3 turnovers, has arguably been more impressive.
Although it may be a little too late for the Rockets (29-35) to make a run at a postseason play-in spot, they have played inspired basketball, winning four out of their last five while going 5-5 in 10 games since the All-Star break. This is a big improvement over their previous record of 3-7, which included a four-game losing streak.
“I think we have had really good stretches,” Udoka told reporters Sunday. “We have played really good basketball at times.”
Houston will end its current road trip against the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday before returning home to Toyota Center to take on the Washington Wizards and Cleveland Cavaliers.
With the status of star big man Alperen Sengun suddenly in serious doubt due to a leg injury, Udoka and the Rockets will likely need guards such as VanVleet and Green to do even more to help generate offense and keep the team’s recent momentum rolling.
This past week, [autotag]Pat Connaughton[/autotag] turned in the best game of the season for either of Notre Dame’s two NBA representatives. In the Milwaukee Bucks’ March 8 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, Connaughton scored a season-high 17 points on 6-of-7 shooting and tied his season high with six rebounds. Before that, he had six points and three assists in a March 6 defeat to the Golden State Warriors. For the week, he averaged 9.0 points and 3.0 rebounds a game.
[autotag]Blake Wesley[/autotag] scored 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting in the San Antonio Spurs’ March 7 defeat to the Sacramento Kings. He scored only four points in helping beat the Warriors on March 9, but he tied career highs with nine assists and two blocks while also grabbing a season-high five rebounds. This past week saw him average 5.0 points and 5.7 assists a game.
Connaughton and Wesley were photographed a bunch during the past week. Here’s the best of what was captured of them:
Lakers superstar made an interesting comment after his team got blown out by the Kings regarding their defensive strategy on De’Aaron Fox.
After building an early 19-point lead versus the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday, the Los Angeles Lakers came apart at the seams. It happened quickly, and they never recovered, losing 130-120 in a game that was more lopsided than that score may suggest.
They were lit up like the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Plaza, especially in the second quarter, when Sacramento made 14 straight shots, outscored them 44-20 and seemingly couldn’t miss from 3-point range. De’Aaron Fox tied his career-high with 44 points, and L.A. seemingly couldn’t do anything to at least make him work for his points.
Anthony Davis, who spent a good portion of the game in foul trouble, said something after the game that may have sounded to some as if he was second-guessing head coach Darvin Ham’s defensive strategy (at :58).
Anthony Davis on what went wrong for the Lakers in the second quarter and down the stretch against the Kings. pic.twitter.com/lbsPjLcT2h
“That was a game that we needed. … We came out with all the energy on both ends of the floor. And then the second quarter dictated the game. Some of the things we were in defensively allowed De’Aaron Fox and Malik Monk to get whatever they want, live up in the paint. If I go help, then (Domantas) Sabonis is wide open.”
“They did a good job manipulating what we were doing.”
Ham said his team needed to force Fox, who is left-handed, to go to his right. But Fox was able to get a lot of his points in the paint, and there simply wasn’t enough defensive pressure on the perimeter in general, which has been a problem for L.A. all season.
Fans and pundits alike have criticized Ham for his strategy, rotations and lineups. With each inexcusable loss such as Wednesday’s, more eyes will be fixated on him as he attempts to guide his squad back to the playoffs.
