The Sacramento Kings will entertain the Boston Celtics in a New Year’s Day affair Thursday at Golden 1 Center.
The Kings (8-25) are coming off back-to-back blowout losses to the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers. They have lost 12 of 15 to fall to 14th in the Western Conference with the fourth-worst record in the NBA.
The Celtics (20-12) have won five of their last six games after beating the Utah Jazz 129-119 on Tuesday in the third game of a five-game road trip. They are third in the Eastern Conference behind the Detroit Pistons and New York Knicks.
Keegan Murray and Drew Eubanks returned from injuries in Tuesday’s game against the Clippers. Zach LaVine (ankle) and Domantas Sabonis (knee) are still out.
Here are three keys to Thursday’s game.
Rookie report
With all hope lost for a winning season, the development of rookies Nique Clifford, Maxime Raynaud and Dylan Cardwell has become a primary focal point for the Kings.
Clifford, a first-round pick from Colorado State, has logged 20-plus minutes in seven consecutive games. He scored a career-high 18 points in Tuesday’s loss to the Clippers, going 7 of 12 from the field and 3 of 5 from 3-point range.
Raynaud, a second-round pick from Stanford, has started the past 11 games with Sabonis sidelined due to injury. Over that stretch, Raynaud has averaged 14.6 points and 9.5 rebounds with five double-doubles in the past seven games.
Cardwell, an undrafted two-way player from Auburn, was making the most of his opportunity until he was sent back to the G League when Drew Eubanks returned from injury Tuesday. Over a span of six games, Cardwell averaged 5.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.2 blocks and 1.2 steals.
Scouting the Celtics
Brown is averaging a career-high 29.5 points, 6.3 rebounds and a career-best 5.0 assists while shooting 50.5% from the field and 37% from 3-point range. He has scored 30 or more 19 times this season with three 40-point games.
Derrick White (18.4 ppg), Payton Pritchard (16.9 ppg), Anfernee Simons (13.1 ppg) and Neemias Queta (10.0 ppg) are also scoring in double figures for the Celtics.
Queta appeared in 20 games over two seasons with the Kings after Sacramento selected him out of Utah State with the 39th overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft. The 7-foot center has started 30 games this season, averaging career highs of 10.0 points, 7.7 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.3 blocks.
Keep an eye on Keon
Keon Ellis has averaged 20.2 minutes in his past eight games, but the results have been mixed.
Over that stretch, Ellis has averaged 5.4 points, 1.5 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 1.6 steals and 0.8 blocks while shooting 33.3% from the field and 23.3% from 3-point range, but he has had his moments.
Ellis scored a season-high 21 points in Saturday’s win over the Dallas Mavericks. He had 10 points while tying his career high with six steals in a Dec. 18 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers.
Celtics at Kings
When: 7 p.m.
Where: Golden 1 Center
TV: NBC Sports California
Radio: Sactown Sports 1140
Odds: Celtics -9.5
Over/under: 227.5
Injury report
Celtics: QUESTIONABLE — Chris Boucher (personal reasons). OUT — Ron Harper Jr. (G League); Max Shulga (G League); Jayson Tatum (Achilles); Amari Williams (G League).
Kings: OUT — Dylan Cardwell (G League); Zach LaVine (ankle); Daeqwon Plowden (G League); Domantas Sabonis (knee); Isaiah Stevens (G League).