5 takeaways as Boston Celtics fall into chaotic finish in Sacramento Kings

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The Boston Celtics lost a chaotic game against the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday, falling 116-111 after an almost costly shot, a free throw that nearly worked, and left another lead.

Five takeaways when the Celtics showed up with short hands … short.

The Celtics’ problems in the fourth quarter are a pattern.

Theoretically, the Celtics should be a very good team in the fourth quarter. Jayson Tatum is deadly. Jaylen Brown waves through defenders. Kemba Walker did not completely shake off his rust (and he did not play on Wednesday), but he also left history.

So why do the Celtics continue to blow the lead in the fourth quarter? On Wednesday, De’Aaron Fox repeatedly passed, Hassan Whiteside punished Boston with his size, and the Celtics offense seems to be blowing a tire. On the second night of a rugby player without Kemba Walker or Marcus Smart (or Payton Pritchard), Brad Stevens’ lack of concern after the game might make sense.

“I thought our guys put in a lot of effort,” Stevens said. “We struggled to get late stopped, but the last two quarters have produced very difficult plays for them.”

Tristan Thompson to establish is a good sign.

Thompson’s rise over the last few games has been an encouraging sign for the Celtics. Thompson finished Wednesday with 17 points on 7-for-9 shooting.

Thompson will not be asked to do much offensive – just make forwards and draw in the paint as defenders take advantage of the Boston stars in the pick-and-roll series. The Celtics also did not contribute other greats than Thompson – despite his success, he did not play in the fourth quarter (Stevens said he liked what Rob Williams brought to the table after the game).

But judging Thompson from the first quarter of his season – for the first time in a new team and adapting to new teammates – was probably not reasonable. Offensive, Thompson offers value when he forces defense to think twice.

Harrison Barnes led to great speculation.

During the NBC Sports Boston broadcast, Kings forward Harrison Barnes was expanded as a possible target for the Celtics. A big wing that can defend multiple positions, Barnes has a championship pedigree and will provide a steady two-way veteran presence.

Barnes was a popular name among fans. The Celtics will have to add a bit of salary to any draft compensation as it is difficult to limit, but the exception on the traded player will help quite a bit.

Can this happen? Can be. Will it? Who knows. False transactions are difficult to predict, as real transactions in the NBA are incredibly difficult to execute, and any amount of speculation often ends up going back to the same 4-5 players. Barnes makes sense for the Celtics, but betting the field is always a good call to evaluate specific targets.

The Celtics struggled without Jayson Tatum.

Predictably, the Celtics struggled without Jayson Tatum in the game. Jaylen Brown has been a superstar this season, but his minutes were the best when combined with Marcus Smart (who is out for a while, of course). When Tatum went out of the game on Wednesday, the Celtics’ attack looked confused. When he was in, the offense was more coherent.

Interestingly, the Celtics were bad without Tatum, although Tatum shot poorly most of the game (27 points, 11-for-26 shooting). Part of the Celtics’ struggle was the dire point guard situation (more on this in a minute), which forced Tatum to use a secondary ball handler for much of the game – except that he was the primary scorer was. But the Celtics really need more from other contributors.

Who plays a backup point guard when Payton Pritchard returns?

Jeff Teague finished with seven points on 1-for-6 shooting off the field. Just joining the starter did not do much for Boston on either side – in theory, Teague should provide spacing, but the defense understandably does not respect his 36 percent shooting in the paint and restricted area, so he is not effective does not collapse.

Tremont Waters, meanwhile, had a nightmare performance – three points, 1 for 8 off the floor. His shot choice this year was sometimes questionable, as if he was struggling to be from the G-League Rookie of the Year / MVP candidate to a potential NBA contributor.

Payton Pritchard may soon return from his knee sprain. If he does, he will presumably be limited to a few minutes, but an argument can be made that he will take over the secondary point guard role behind Kemba Walker. Teague’s continued offensive fight is less than encouraging, and Pritchard is a troublesome defender.

In any case, the Celtics will welcome the health they can get. Playing short on the second night of a rugby game seemed like a struggle.

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