The Celtics overcame the absence of three starters on Monday night as well as 41 points from Buddy Hield to hold on for a 103-102 win at the TD Garden. Enes Kanter (13 points, 9 rebounds) and Semi Ojeleye filled in for an injured Daniel Theis (illness) and Kemba Walker (neck) in the starting five but it was the scoring of Jaylen Brown (24 points) and Jayson Tatum (20 points) that helped carry the shorthanded C’s to the finish line in the second half. Marcus Smart (17 points, 7 assists) also delivered several crucial baskets in the closing two minutes and a steal on Bogdan Bogdanovic to help preserve the win in the final minute of the victory.
The win snaps a two-game losing streak for the hosts in their first game back from a five-game west coast swing. The C’s return to the Garden on Wednesday night with a matchup against the Kyrie-less Nets.
PG: Brad Wanamaker
SG: Marcus Smart
SF: Jayson Tatum
PF: Jaylen Brown
C: Daniel Theis
SG: Buddy Hield
PF: Nemanja Bjelica
C: Richaun Holmes
- Kemba Walker has been ruled out after his scary collision on Friday night in Denver. Daniel Theis will also miss tonight's game with an illness, while Gordon Hayward and Romeo Langford remain out with a hand and ankle injury respectively.
- The Kings will be without young studs De'Aaron Fox and Marvin Bagley while bench wing Trevor Ariza has also been ruled out. Bogdan Bogdanovic is probable with a hamstring injury despite playing the first half of a back-to-back on Sunday.
- The Celtics have recalled rookie point guard Tremont Waters from Maine and he will be active. Brad Stevens on his play in Maine: "He's great. Playing great. We all saw in the preseason all the different things that he can do with the ball. He's great at settling down a team, he's great at getting people in the right spaces and creating plays that other people can't create because he's so good off the pick-and-roll. Now, it's a different level in the NBA regular season but I would have no hesitation playing him and playing him often if we had to."
- The Kings have won seven of 10 after opening the season 0-5. They have won three of their last four games.