Jayson Tatum and the surging Boston Celtics will continue their Western Conference swing when they visit the Sacramento Kings on Monday night.
In the absence of injured sidekick Jaylen Brown, Tatum flashed his NBA Most Valuable Player credentials with 26 points, six rebounds, six assists and three steals in a 121-99 win at Utah on Friday.
Tatum and the Celtics (52-19) played in the Northwest on Sunday, when he contributed 30 points, nine rebounds, nine assists and two blocks in a 129-116 triumph over the Portland Trail Blazers, the Celtics’ fifth win in a row.
After Sacramento, the Celtics — who are without Brown because he has a bone bruise with posterior impingement in his right knee — will visit three other Western Conference venues to take on the Phoenix Suns, San Antonio Spurs and Memphis Grizzlies.
Tatum was held to 15 points but did manage 12 rebounds when the Celtics were shocked 114-97 at home by the Kings in January. Domantas Sabonis put on the MVP-level performance that night with 23 points and 28 rebounds.
While the rematch might be important to Tatum for individual reasons, it’s a much bigger team game for the Kings (35-35), who have lost two in a row to drop to 2-2 on a crucial seven-game homestand.
The losses have sent the ninth-place Kings closer to 11th in the West — a lottery position — than eighth, with Sacramento now leading the Phoenix Suns and Dallas Mavericks by just 1 1/2 games apiece.
The Kings got good news Sunday when Sabonis, who has missed nine of the last 11 games with hamstring and ankle injuries, was able to fully participate in a team workout. As a result, he has been upgraded to questionable to face the Celtics.
With Oklahoma City following Boston into town, the Kings could be looking up at either the Suns or Mavericks — or perhaps both — by Wednesday morning.
The Kings’ Keegan Murray has concerns.
“I don’t know if it’s opponents,” he said. “I think it’s us.”
The Celtics still have a chance to catch the Eastern front-running Cleveland Cavaliers, but it might take all wins in their final 11 games. The Cavs enjoy a five-game lead and have lost just 14 times all season.
Boston coach Joe Mazzulla seems more intent upon getting his star players some rest before the postseason than have them exert energy on a likely fruitless run at the Cavaliers.
Of immediate concern, he was able to get Kristaps Porzingis into a third straight game on Friday at Utah, with two off days in between each contest. Even though the club enjoyed Saturday off as well, Porzingis — who is still dealing with the effects of an illness — was rested during Sunday’s front end of a back-to-back.
Like his coach, Porzingis realizes it’s not important to be in top form in March. The goal is to be fully prepared for April and, hopefully, May.
“I’m not feeling my best,” he said of his return. “Just trying to maybe create a bit more, and that leads to more opportunities for myself and good looks.”
Porzingis, who has averaged 28.7 minutes in his last three games, is considered likely to face the Kings.
