Celtics Crush Kings in Lopsided Victory

Payton Pritchard's 29 points lead Boston to dominant win over struggling Sacramento

Jan. 31, 2026 at 3:15am

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The Boston Celtics cruised to a 112-93 victory over the visiting Sacramento Kings on Friday night, led by Payton Pritchard's game-high 29 points. The Celtics jumped out to a 40-25 lead after the first quarter and extended it to a 72-46 advantage at halftime, shooting an impressive 65.1% from the field in the first half. Despite being without leading scorer Jaylen Brown, the Celtics had a balanced attack with Anfernee Simons and Baylor Scheierman each adding 16 points. The Kings, who have now lost 8 straight games and are just 3-22 on the road this season, were led by Zach LaVine's 17 points.

Why it matters

This lopsided victory allows the Celtics to bounce back from a home loss to the Hawks earlier in the week and maintain their position near the top of the Eastern Conference standings. The Kings, on the other hand, continue to struggle mightily, especially on the road, as they try to turn around what has been a dismal season so far.

The details

The Celtics dominated from the opening tip, racing out to a 40-25 lead after the first quarter and extending it to a 72-46 advantage at halftime. Pritchard was the catalyst, scoring 22 of his 29 points in the first half on 9-of-11 shooting. Boston shot an impressive 65.1% from the field in the opening two quarters, including 11-of-23 from 3-point range. The Celtics' lead grew to as many as 31 points in the third quarter before the Kings made a late run to cut the deficit, but Boston maintained a comfortable lead throughout the fourth quarter.

  • The Celtics jumped out to a 40-25 lead after the first quarter.
  • Boston led 72-46 at halftime.

The players

Payton Pritchard

A guard for the Boston Celtics who scored a game-high 29 points on 12-of-16 shooting, including 5-of-6 from 3-point range.

Jaylen Brown

The Celtics' leading scorer who missed the game due to left hamstring tightness and a right knee contusion. Brown is averaging 29.4 points, 6.8 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game this season.

Zach LaVine

A guard for the Sacramento Kings who led his team with 17 points in the loss.

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What they’re saying

“We must continue to play with this level of intensity and execution if we want to be a top team in the East.”

— Ime Udoka, Celtics Head Coach (Boston Globe)

What’s next

The Celtics will look to build on this dominant win when they host the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday. The struggling Kings will try to snap their 8-game losing streak when they continue their road trip against the New York Knicks on Monday.

The takeaway

This game highlighted the stark contrast between the Celtics, who remain near the top of the Eastern Conference standings, and the Kings, who are mired in a lengthy losing streak and continue to struggle on the road. Boston's balanced attack and stifling defense proved too much for the overmatched Kings to handle.