NBA: Payton Pritchard, Celtics steamroll floundering Kings

Payton Pritchard tossed in a game-high 29 points and Neemias Queta had 10 points and 15 rebounds to lead the Boston Celtics to a 112-93 victory over the visiting Sacramento Kings on Friday night.

Pritchard made 12 of 16 shots from the field, including 5 of 6 3-point attempts.

Anfernee Simons and Baylor Scheierman each added 16 points for the Celtics, who didn't have leading scorer Jaylen Brown (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. He had 29 points and 10 rebounds when the Celtics won 120-106 in Sacramento on Jan. 1.

The victory allowed the Celtics to avoid back-to-back home losses. Atlanta won in Boston 117-106 Wednesday night.

Sacramento has lost eight games in a row and dropped to 3-22 on the road. The Kings are 0-5 on their current six-game road trip.

Zach LaVine led Sacramento with 17 points. The Kings received 14 points and 14 rebounds from Maxime Raynaud and 15 points from Nique Clifford.

Boston led 40-25 after one quarter and 72-46 at halftime. Boston shot 65.1% from the field in the first half (28 of 43), when it made 11 of 23 3-point attempts. Pritchard scored 22 of his 29 points in the half, when was 9 of 11 from the field and had each of his eight assists.

The Celtics had their seventh lead of at least 30 points this season after a Simons jumper put Boston up 85-54 with 3:19 remaining in the third quarter. Sacramento ended the quarter with a 12-4 run, but trailed 89-66 entering the fourth.

Although the Celtics were held to 40 points in the second half, their lead never dipped below 16 points in the final quarter.

The Kings shot 37.3% from the field (31 of 83) and never led in the game. Boston finished the night 42 of 93 from the floor (45.2%) with 18 triples.

--Field Level Media/Reuters