Preview: Celtics at Kings, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026 SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Interstat) — The Boston Celtics, looking to rebound from a road loss, visit the struggling Sacramento Kings on Thursday night at Golden 1 Center in a New Year’s Day NBA matchup. The Celtics (19-12) enter after a 114-108 defeat at Portland on Sunday, which snapped a three-game winning streak. Boston has been led by the torrid scoring of All-Star Jaylen Brown, who has averaged 31.6 points over his last eight games. Brown scored 37 points in the loss to the Trail Blazers and has topped 30 points in seven of those eight contests. Sacramento (8-24) has lost three of its last four, including a 125-101 defeat at the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday. Rookie center Maxime Raynaud recorded a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds in that game. The 7-foot-1 Frenchman has been a bright spot, averaging a double-double (13.8 points, 10.2 rebounds) over his last 10 appearances, including a 29-point, 11-rebound performance in an overtime loss to Portland on Dec. 18. Boston holds a significant advantage in the standings and has won seven of its last 10 games overall. The Celtics’ offense has been potent, scoring 140 points in a win at Indiana on Dec. 26 and averaging 121.2 points over their last five outings. The Kings, conversely, have the second-worst record in the Western Conference and rank near the bottom of the league in defensive rating. They have shown flashes, however, with recent wins over Dallas and Miami this month. For Boston, Derrick White is coming off a 40-minute, 12-point, 5-assist effort against Portland. For Sacramento, veteran guard DeMar DeRozan leads the team in scoring at 22.4 points per game and had 22 points and 5 assists against the Lakers. This is the first meeting of the season between the teams. The Celtics begin a four-game road trip with this contest, while the Kings open a brief two-game homestand before traveling to Phoenix on Friday.