It's far too early for most fans of the Boston Celtics to be thinking about which players their favorite team will end up taking, but not the experts.

"When we're not giving our all, I think that's the most deserved boos," Kristaps Porziņģis said after Friday's loss to the Kings.

The reality is nobody fears the Celtics anymore. Opposing know they can win at the Garden, and are throwing various defenses to which Boston's offense can’t consistently respond.

The Sacramento Kings entered Friday night’s matchup against the Boston Celtics amid a five-game winning streak, but they knew they would have a tough test against the defending champions. Instead, the Kings dominated the Celtics, defeating them 114-97, pushing their winning streak to six games.

A competitive game Friday night turned ugly late for the Celtics, who were run off their home floor by the shorthanded Sacramento Kings.

DeMar DeRozan added 24 points and nine assists, and Malik Monk finished with 22 points and eight assists. Boston has lost two of its last three. Jaylen Brown led the Celtics with 28 points, Kristaps Porzingis added 22 points and 10 rebounds, and Jayson ...

The Celtics had no answer for Sacramento's Domantas Sabonis on Friday, who finished the 114-97 game with a staggering 28 rebounds.

Jan 10, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Malik Monk (0) drives to the basket against Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis (8) in the first quarter at TD Garden.

The Sacramento Kings entered Friday night’s matchup against the Boston Celtics amid a five-game ... DeMar DeRozan added 24 points while Malik Monk kept his hot streak going, scoring 22 points ...

DeMar DeRozan added 24 points and nine assists, and Malik Monk finished with 22 points and eight assists. Boston has lost two of its last three. Jaylen Brown led the Celtics with 28 points ...

The Celtics are now just 3-5 in their last eight home games, which is more losses than they had at home all of last season.

Domantas Sabonis had 23 points and a career-high 28 rebounds, and the Kings used a fourth-quarter rally to beat the Celtics 114-97.