RECAP: De’Aaron Fox, Sacramento Kings drop Celtics below .500

Mar 19, 2021; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Sacramento Kings guard De'Aaron Fox (5) steals the ball from Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) during the second half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

Mar 19, 2021; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Sacramento Kings guard De'Aaron Fox (5) steals the ball from Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) during the second half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

De’Aaron Fox led all scorers with 29 points, and the Sacramento Kings held the Boston Celtics to just 42.9 percent shooting from the floor en route to a 107-96 win, Friday at TD Garden in Boston.

Sacramento, playing the fourth in a six-game, Eastern Conference road swing, jumped out to a 10-point lead in the first quarter, but Boston hung within striking distance before taking a lead in the fourth quarter.

Jaylen Brown scored two of his team-high 19 points on a floater with 4:31 remaining, giving the Celtics a 91-90. The Kings took command from there.

Fox scored seven of Sacramento’s points in a decisive, 13-2 run. Buddy Hield, who finished with 22 points, knocked down one of his six 3-pointers in that stretch, and Richaun Holmes sank his lone attempt from behind the arc amid the run.

Holmes was one of two Kings to record a double-double, posting 25 points and 11 rebounds. Harrison Barnes added 15 points and a game-high 13 rebounds.

Boston, meanwhile, struggled to find a consistent offensive rhythm. Jayson Tatum finished with 15 points, more than 10 below his season average, on 6-of-16 shooting from the floor. Kemba Walker scored 16 points and passed for seven assists, Daniel Theis had 14 points and eight rebounds, and Brown grabbed 11 rebounds.

Along with its poor shooting from the field, Boston attempted just seven free throws. The Celtics came in averaging more than 22 foul shots per game.

Sacramento had a huge advantage, going 21-of-26 from the foul line. Holmes made 10 free throws on his own, four more than the entire Celtics lineup.

With the win, Sacramento completed its first season sweep of Boston since the 2006-07 campaign. The loss drops the Celtics below .500, and marked their fourth loss in the last five games.

–Field Level Media

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