Inside The Celtics

Robert Williams Returns, Celtics Nearly at Full-Strength vs. Kings

Aiming to finish their six-game road trip with a 4-2 record, the Celtics will have their starting lineup intact.

Bobby Krivitsky

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With the Sixers losing to the Bulls Monday night, the Celtics moved back into the two seed in the Eastern Conference. At 49-23, Boston is half a game ahead of Philadelphia, who's 48-23. The two will face off at Wells Fargo Center on Apr. 4.

The Celtics remain 2.5 games behind the Bucks, who they'll play in Milwaukee on Mar. 30. The hosts, coming from Indiana, will be on the second night of a back-to-back.

But the defending Eastern Conference champions can't look ahead. They must focus on the present and cleaning up internal issues, like improving their crunch-time defense.

Boston is 21st in opponent points per game in the final five minutes of matchups that are within five, yielding 9.4 points per contest. The Celtics are surrendering 12 points per game in crunch time since the All-Star break, which ranks 22nd.

It helps that as they close out their six-game road trip, they'll get Robert Williams back for Tuesday's tilt against the Kings. The Timelord missed eight-consecutive contests due to a left hamstring strain.

Boston will have its starting lineup intact as Al Horford returns after missing Saturday's loss to the Jazz, with it being the second half of a back-to-back.

Marcus Smart is also available after not playing in Utah due to a left hip contusion.

As the Celtics aim to end their road trip with a 4-2 record, the only player to suit up for them this season who's inactive is Payton Pritchard, who will miss his seventh-straight game due to left heel pain.

Tuesday's matchup in Sacramento tips off at 10 pm EST. Inside The Celtics will have content related to the game before, during, and afterward. And follow @BobbyKrivitsky on Twitter for updates and analysis from pregame to post.

Further Reading

[Film Room] the Primary Problem Plaguing the Celtics' Crunch-Time Defense

Jayson Tatum Says He Has No Issue with Others Taking the Game-Deciding Shot: 'I'm Just Trying to Win'

Celtics Discuss What Went Wrong on the Final Play in Their Loss vs. the Jazz

Here's What Stood Out in Celtics' Loss vs. Jazz: Boston Outplayed in Crunch-Time

As Celtics Head to Utah, Jayson Tatum Opens Up About Relationship with Danny Ainge: 'I'm Very Thankful for Him'

Jaylen Brown Wants the Celtics to Get Back to the Defensive Identity that Helped them Reach the Finals

Jayson Tatum Made the Face of New Gatorade Ad Campaign

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Bobby Krivitsky
BOBBY KRIVITSKY

Bobby Krivitsky's experiences include covering the NBA as a credentialed reporter for Basketball Insiders. He's also a national sports talk host for SportsMap Radio, a network airing on 96 radio stations throughout the country. Additionally, he was a major-market host, update anchor, and producer for IMG Audio, and he worked for Bleacher Report as an NFL and NBA columnist.

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