• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Celtics hope to bounce back vs. lowly Kings

Dec 28, 2008 - 7:52 AM Boston (27-4) at Sacramento (7-23) 9:00 p.m. EST

SACRAMENTO, California (Ticker) -- After a record winning streak, the Boston Celtics seem to have drifted off course.

The Celtics will be looking to get back on the winning track when they face the Sacramento Kings on Sunday.

Boston was riding a club-record 19-game winning streak and holding an NBA-record 27-2 team mark on Christmas when it fell to the Los Angeles Lakers. Playing on back-to-back nights on the West Coast, the Celtics followed that disappointment with a stunning loss to the Golden State Warriors on Friday.

After looking sharp throughout their streak and most of the first part of the season, Boston has looked sluggish and sloppy on the first two legs of a four-game road trip. The Celtics turned the ball over a combined 40 times in the two contests and were outscored 56-33 in the fourth quarters.

They led the Warriors, 72-64, after three quarters but were dominated in the final period, 35-17. Boston was without center Kendrick Perkins in the contest due to an injured left shoulder and point guard Rajon Rondo led the team with 10 rebounds.

Rondo finished the contest one assist shy of a triple-double but committed seven turnovers.

The Kings are suffering through a five-game losing streak and are 2-9 in December.

Brad Miller and John Salmons scored 20 points apiece on Friday but it was not enough to lift Sacramento over the Toronto Raptors in a 107-101 setback.

The Kings allowed the Raptors to shoot 55 percent in the loss and are the second-worst defensive team in the NBA in terms of field goal percentage, allowing nearly 48 percent shooting per game.