Watch: Xavier Tillman drains game-winner, Celtics escape with win over Kings
Boston nearly blew a double-digit lead before Tillman saved the 101-100 win.
A disastrous fourth quarter nearly burned the Celtics once again on Friday night.
That was, until Boston reserve player Xavier Tillman saved the victory over the Sacramento Kings.
The Celtics led by 19 points with under six minutes to play, before the Kings exploded offensively and took the lead late. With one possession to seal the deal, Tillman drove to the top of the paint and dripped in a jumper from the charity stripe to regain the lead. That bucket held up and Boston survived the late Sacramento onslaught.
Boston was shorthanded on Friday, missing both Jaylen Brown and Derrick White from the starting lineup, and had nothing to play for, having already clinched the NBA’s best record.
The Kings, on the other hand, had everything to play for, hoping to secure a spot in the playoffs without risking the highly competitive Play-In tournament in the Western Conference. With the loss, Sacramento’s path toward clinching a top-six seed gets more difficult.
Fellow Celtics bench player Payton Pritchard played big minutes on Friday and showed out, scoring 21 points in the win.
Boston moves to 61-16 with the win.
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com