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Just a month after the NBA crowned the Milwaukee Bucks as NBA Champions, they are set to have another coronation night this Tuesday. This particular title match will feature the Boston Celtics and Sacramento Kings as they square off for the right to be called Summer League Champions. In this post, we're doing our Celtics-Kings Summer League Championship preview with a focused angle on Boston.
It may not be as high as the stakes were last July. But hey, it's a championship game nonetheless. Boston has been dominating Sin City so far and will look to cap off their stellar play by taking home the Las Vegas Summer League title. While a win wouldn't add to their record 17 NBA championships, it's still good for the team's morale to take home some hardware, regardless of its prestige. As the Celtics prepare for battle, here are four bold predictions for their Summer League championship game against the Kings.
Celtics-Kings Summer League Championship
4. Payton Pritchard will drop at least 30 points
Celtics point guard Payton Pritchard asked to be excused from their final round robin assignment against the Philadelphia. What was the reason? Well, he just happened to drop 92 points in his appearance at the Pro-Am. Pritchard has been averaging 20.3 points while shooting 51.4 percent from the field and 57.7 percent from long range.
Coming off that insane performance, the incoming sophomore should be feeling extra good entering Tuesday's championship game. Thus, it wouldn't be far-fetched to think he will score at least 30 points. It wouldn't be an easy 30 that's for sure, with Sacramento's rookie defensive stalwart Davion Mitchell likely taking the task to shadow him the entire night.
3. Boston will continue to make it rain from downtown
The Celtics have been scorching hot from downtown in their four Vegas games so far. As a team, Boston has shot a league-leading 40.3 percent clip from 3-point country on an also league-leading 15.5 makes a night. Their elite efficiency from long range is a result of their great ball movement. Boston is averaging 25.5 assists in their four Summer League wins.
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With the way they have been shooting and passing the ball in Vegas, there is no reason to be leave that shouldn't continue as they look to put an exclamation point on their dominant Summer League with a championship win.
2. Boston's experience will overwhelm Sacramento
On paper alone, the Celtics do have the more experienced squad over the rookie-heavy Kings Summer League team. Boston is featuring three incoming third year players in Carsen Edwards, Bruno Fernando, and Romeo Langford. Add the fact that their two incoming sophomores in Payton Pritchard and Aaron Nesmith became fixtures in the rotation of former head coach Brad Stevens, who is now their president of basketball operations, near the end of the 2020-21 season and even in their five playoff games.
Meanwhile, Sacramento doesn't have anyone on their roster who have seen significant minutes in the NBA. Perhaps their most experienced player is upcoming fourth-year big man Chimezie Metu, who has only played 83 games in three seasons. Sure, the Kings may have two rookies in Davion Mitchell and Jahmi'us Ramsey playing like studs in Summer League. But they are still first year players without any NBA experience.
With that, Boston's more experienced squad should be able to flex their muscles on Sacramento's younger roster.
1. The Celtics will win by at least 20 points
The Kings and Celtics enter Tuesday without any defeats. Both teams have been blowing out their opponents throughout the round robin, but Boston has been doing so in a more dominant fashion. Save for their opener against the Atlanta Hawks, where they won by just two points, the Celtics have won their games by at least 20 points.
Sacramento, meanwhile, has also won its assignments by double-digits. But with Boston holding the experience advantage and rolling over their last three games, having won by an average of 27.3 points, the Kings may just have met a foe that is just on a different level. With that, the Celtics could put an exclamation point on their dominant Las Vegas Summer League with a 20-point blowout win over Sacramento. Nevertheless, this ends our Celtics-Kings Summer League Championship preview from Boston's side of things. Sacramento's can be found here.
