Kings at Celtics
Although they have been on the road for almost a week, the Sacramento Kings should be well-rested when they visit the Boston Celtics on Friday. The Kings saw their scheduled game at Philadelphia on Wednesday - their third contest in a string of six straight on the road - postponed due to condensation on the court.
The unplanned break gives Sacramento three full days off since its 101-95 overtime loss at Washington on Monday, during which DeMarcus Cousins continued his torrid pace with 36 points and 20 rebounds. Cousins will take aim at a Celtics bunch that has lost three in a row at home and was not proud of its defensive effort in a 121-114 setback against Detroit on Wednesday. "I think we have to get a little more nastier on the defensive end," forward Jae Crowder told reporters after Boston allowed the Pistons to shoot 55.2 percent from the floor. "Not let a team come in and get comfortable. It's not been an ongoing thing." After the Kings leave town, the Celtics begin a stretch in which they play eight of 10 on the road.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, CSN California (Sacramento), CSN New England (Boston)
ABOUT THE KINGS (7-11): Cousins is averaging 35.3 points and 13.3 rebounds while shooting 50.9 percent from the floor over the last four games. Rudy Gay added 18 points in the loss to the Wizards but the other three starters combined for only 13 on 4-of-15 shooting. Veteran deep threat Arron Afflalo has been particularly ineffective of late and has gone four straight games without a 3-pointer, his longest such stretch in nearly a year.
ABOUT THE CELTICS (10-8): Crowder's call for nastiness has to extend to the team's effort on the boards, as they continue to get beat down below and were outrebounded 58-38 against Detroit. Boston entered Thursday tied for 28th in the NBA in rebounding margin (-4.5) and 29th in offensive rebounds allowed (11.8 after Detroit hauled in 13). Guard Avery Bradley has done his part to help out the cause and had a team-high six boards to leave his season average at 7.8, nearly three times his career mark (2.8).
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Celtics have won eight straight meetings in Boston.
2. Boston F Jonas Jerebko is 18-for-21 from the floor during a seven-game hot streak.
3. Kings PG Ty Lawson has scored at least 12 points in three straight games after reaching double digits three times in his first 15 contests.