5 topics on how the Boston Celtics fall to Sacramento Kings in a chaotic ending

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The Boston Celtics lost a chaotic game to the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday, dropping 116-111 after an almost expensive kick clock malfunction, an intentionally missed free throw that almost worked, and yet another lost advantage in the end.

Five takeaways while the Celtics short-handed arrived … short.

The Celtics’ problems in the fourth period are a kind of pattern.

In theory, the Celtics should be a very good team in the fourth period. Jayson Tatum is deadly. Jaylen Brown has been blowing by the defenders. Kemba Walker didn’t completely get rid of his rust (and he didn’t play on Wednesday), but he has a history of excellence at the end as well.

So why do the Celtics continue to explode in advantage in the fourth quarter? On Wednesday, De’Aaron Fox scored repeatedly, Hassan Whiteside punished Boston with his size and the Celtics’ attack seemed to blow a tire. On the second night in a row without Kemba Walker or Marcus Smart (or Payton Pritchard), perhaps Brad Stevens’s lack of post-game concern makes sense.

“I thought our guys tried really hard,” said Stevens. “We struggled to get delays, but in the past two quarters they have made a lot of difficult plays.”

Tristan Thompson finding balance is a solid sign.

Thompson’s appearance in recent games was an encouraging sign for the Celtics. On Wednesday, Thompson finished with 17 points in 7-to-9 shots.

Thompson will not be asked to do much offense – just finish the strokes and score on the painting when the defenders focus on the Boston stars in pick-and-roll. The Celtics will also have other great feats if Thompson does not contribute – despite his success, he did not play in the fourth period (Stevens said after the game that he liked what Rob Williams brought to the table).

But judging Thompson in the first quarter of his season – on a new team for the first time, adjusting to new teammates – was probably unreasonable. Offensively, Thompson provides some value if he forces the defense to think twice.

Harrison Barnes has sparked many speculations.

During the NBC Sports Boston broadcast, Kings striker Harrison Barnes was widely criticized as a possible commercial target for the Celtics. A great wing that can defend several positions, Barnes has championship pedigree and would provide a constant presence of veteran in both directions

Barnes is a popular name among fans. The Celtics would need to attach some salary to any draft compensation, since they have a fixed limit, but the exception of traded player would help a lot.

Could that happen? Perhaps. Go? Who knows. False trades are difficult to predict, since real trades are incredibly difficult to execute in the NBA, and any amount of speculation often ends up returning to the same 4-5 players. Barnes makes sense for the Celtics, but betting on the field is always a good option when evaluating specific targets.

The Celtics fought without Jayson Tatum.

Predictably, the Celtics fought without Jayson Tatum in the game. Jaylen Brown has been a superstar this season, but his minutes have been better when combined with Marcus Smart (who has obviously been away for a while). When Tatum left the game on Wednesday, the Celtics’ attack looked irregular. When he entered, the offense was more consistent.

Interestingly, the Celtics were bad without Tatum, although Tatum shot badly for most of the game (27 points, 11 of 26 shots). Part of the Celtics’ difficulties was the terrible situation of the point guard (more on that in a minute), forcing Tatum to be used during much of the game as a secondary ball handler – in addition to being the main scorer. But the Celtics really need more collaborators.

Who will be the reserve owner when Payton Pritchard returns?

Jeff Teague finished with seven points from 1 to 6 field shots. Simply connecting it to the starters didn’t help much in Boston at either end – in theory, Teague should provide spacing, but defenses understandably don’t respect its 36 percent shot in the paint and restricted area, so it doesn’t really collapse .

Tremont Waters, meanwhile, had a nightmare performance – three points, 1 to 8 from the ground. His selection of pitches has been questionable a few times this year, as if he’s struggling to adjust from being a Gookie Rookie of the Year / MVP candidate to a potential NBA contributor.

Payton Pritchard could soon return from his knee sprain. When he does this, he will probably have a minute restriction, but an argument can be made for him to assume the role of secondary point guard behind Kemba Walker. Teague’s ongoing offensive struggles are less than encouraging and Pritchard is an uncomfortable defender.

In any case, the Celtics will welcome any type of health they can. Playing short-handed on the second night in a row seemed like a struggle.