4 takeaways as Celtics make history in Summer League win over Kings

The Celtics held off a late charge from the Kings to secure an 82-76 win over Sacramento on Wednesday night at Thomas and Mack Center. Boston led by as many as 16 points in the fourth quarter before a frantic 17-3 run by the Kings pulled Sacramento within two points in the final minute.

However, undrafted rookie Milos Uzan put together back-to-back baskets in crunch time to help the Celtics thwart the Kings rally and escape with the win.

Hugo Gonzalez led the way for the Celtics with a game-high 24 points, 10 rebounds and five assists while John Tonje chipped in with 18 points. Rookie Chris Cenac Jr. added a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds and Uzan had his best game of Summer League with 13 points and seven rebounds. Alex Karaban had a team-high 21 points for the Kings in the setback.

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Boston improved to 3-1 with the victory in Summer League but is unlikely to make the semifinal round of Summer League due to tiebreakers. The Celtics will play their final Summer League game on Saturday with gametime set to be announced later this week.

Here are four takeaways from the Celtics’ win on Wednesday night:

Celtics hold Kings to four points in historic first quarter: Boston’s defense has been on point during Summer League but they took things to a new level on Wednesday night. With the Kings resting several of their top players, Boston held Sacramento to just four points, the lowest point total in a quarter for a team in Summer League history. The Kings shot just 2-of-21 (9.5%) from the field and 0-of-8 from 3-point range in the dismal offensive performance as Boston clamped down on the Kings in the paint and on the glass. The Celtics struggled offensively themselves though early and only held a nine-point lead after the first quarter despite the Kings’ low output.

Hugo Gonzalez puts together his best game of Summer League: The Spanish wing looked fresh after getting Monday’s game off against the Hawks to rest and he produced all over the floor for Boston. Gonzalez posted a double-double, doing some terrific work on the defensive glass in traffic. He led the Celtics in points, rebounds and assists, showing the kind of all-around promise that has made Boston’s front office very high on the 20-year-old forward.

John Tonje continues his push for a two-way spot: The second-year guard bounced back from a rough game on Monday night with another strong shooting performance. He also did well fighting through screens on the ball all night in his fourth game in six nights. Boston’s front office has some decisions to make with their two-way spots but Tonje looks like the best candidate right now on this roster to claim the final opening.

Chris Cenac Jr. cleans up the glass: The first-round pick came off the bench for the third time in Summer League but it did not stop him from making an impact yet again. The Houston product piled up his first double-double of Summer League with 10 points and 12 rebounds in just 25 minutes. He’s still dealing with some growing pains (four turnovers) but the upside was apparent against some NBA roster talent (Dylan Cardwell) on the Kings.

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