Inside The Celtics

The Top 5 Plays from Friday's Celtics-Kings Game

Boston's turning an errant pass into a highlight-reel jam, Jaylen Brown getting into his bag, and Jayson Tatum's alley-oop to Luke Kornet headline the top five plays from Friday's Celtics-Kings game.

Bobby Krivitsky

Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
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Boston's turning an errant pass into a highlight-reel jam, Jaylen Brown getting into his bag, and Jayson Tatum's alley-oop to Luke Kornet headline the top five plays from Friday's Celtics-Kings game.

Al Horford Denies Keegan Murray at the Rim

Against the NBA's highest-scoring offense, the Celtics surrendered only 22 points in the first frame, holding the Kings to 35 percent shooting.

In the play above, when Al Horford swoops from left to right after reaching in on De'Aaron Fox, he overpursues Keegan Muray on his closeout.

That leads to Murray attacking the gap, but he leaps away from the rim as he goes up for an underhanded lefty finger roll that Horford reroutes to Sacramento's bench.

Celtics Turn an Errant Pass into a Highlight-Reel Jam

That pressuring defense that limited the Kings to 22 points in the opening quarter also led to the visitors committing ten turnovers in the first 12 minutes.

Above, Malcolm Brogdon picks off a poor pass from Trey Lyles. He's strong with the ball as Fox goes for the steal, then dishes to Sam Hauser, who delivers an over-head pass as KZ Okpala runs by, paving the way for a thunderous one-handed slam by Jayson Tatum.

The Kings Send Two Defenders, Jayson Tatum Still Scores

The screen by Tatum gets the smaller Davion Mitchell switched onto him, and Marcus Smart delivers the entry pass to the pinch post. From there, even with Okpala draped on Tatum's right arm, it's not enough to prevent the three-time All-Star from cashing in on a well-contested floater.

Tatum Teams Up with the Green Kornet

Friday, Tatum, Brogdon, Payton Pritchard, Sam Hauser, and Luke Kornet swung momentum late in the third quarter, staging a 16-0 run that put Boston back in front, taking a 94-84 lead into the final frame.

Two of those points came from Tatum beating Harrison Barnes off the dribble, taking a sharp angle to the rim, drawing Luke Kornet's defender, Chimezie Metu. Tatum goes right at Metu, throws the lob, and Kornet takes care of the rest.

Jaylen Brown Turns the Court into His Canvas

After the unit mentioned above gave the Celtics a double-digit advantage with 12 minutes remaining, Jaylen Brown delivered the knockout blow Friday, scoring ten of his 25 points in the fourth quarter. None were more artful than him spinning into this turnaround jumper.

Further Reading

Here's What Stood Out in the Celtics' Win vs. Kings: Boston Stifles NBA's Top-Scoring Offense

The Top 5 Plays from Wednesday's Celtics-Mavericks Game

Here's When Robert Williams Reportedly will Return to Celtics Lineup

Celtics Fans will Absolutely Love What Jayson Tatum Said About Playing in Boston

Mavericks' Luka Doncic has Extremely High Praise for Celtics Star Duo

1:1 with Orthopedic Surgeon, Dr. Derek Ochiai, on Robert Williams' Knee Procedures, Recovery, and Long-Term Outlook

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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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