Boston Celtics vs Sacramento Kings Final Score & Over/Under Result — Jan 1, 2026

Boston's second-quarter surge proved decisive in a defensive affair that fell short of expectations. The Celtics outscored Sacramento 34–32 in the quarter, but it was the combined 66 points in Q2 that set the tone for a slower second half. The 1st half produced 123 combined points, while the 2nd half yielded just 103—a 20-point drop that ultimately defined the evening. Sacramento had opened the game competitively at 57 combined in Q1, but Boston's balance and pace control in Q2 extended a lead the Kings could never recover.

Jaylen Brown anchored Boston's effort with 29 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 assists, establishing himself as the primary engine throughout. Derrick White and Payton Pritchard provided secondary scoring punch with 16 points apiece—White adding 7 assists and Pritchard 6—to keep Sacramento's defense scrambling. DeMar DeRozan led the Kings with 25 points and 6 assists, while Dennis Schröder chipped in 18 points and 7 assists in a losing cause. Keon Ellis added 16 points off the bench.

The final margin of 120–106 left the combined total at 226, a 3.5-point shortfall beneath the 229.5 market total. DAGGER leaned under, and it cashed. Sacramento's recent form—allowing 122.4 points per game over its last 10—had suggested vulnerability, while Boston's defensive profile (110.8 allowed) offered a clearer path to a controlled pace. The second-half deterioration in scoring locked in that thesis.