Kings block out the noise and make a strong statement in win over Celtics originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Doug Christie’s greatest achievement since taking over as interim head coach has been about quieting the noise.
The noise of fans filling the Golden 1 Center with boos as disappointing performances mounted, and the noise of outside critics wondering what had gone wrong for a team that at one point seemed to harbor serious and legitimate playoff hopes. .
The most important thing, Christie got the Kings players to close The noise on the field.
That had been a problem for the Kings, who were quick to argue with referees when calls went against them or were not made at all.
Getting players to stop such antics was a major concern when Christie took over, and it’s starting to pay off.
Domantas Sabonis It was a perfect example of that.
On a night when he was a ball of personal destruction, destroying everything the Boston Celtics tried to throw at him, Sabonis kept his lips sealed. In the past, I might not have kept my cool, but with Christie, it’s the new way.
“I didn’t say a word,” Christie told reporters after the Impressive 114-97 Kings victory over Celtics at TD Garden. “I just kept fighting, fighting. And I love him for that.”
That’s a sentiment shared by Kings players, who have been very happy to accompany Christie as he leads them to their longest winning streak since the 2023-24 season.
In addition to keeping the players focused on the task at hand, Christie’s cool and calm demeanor has injected confidence into the players.
“Collectively, everything we’ve been through in December (so) now is just 360,” forward Keegan Murray told reporters. “He is a coach who instills confidence in all the players. Whether you make a mistake or not, whether you make a good play or things like that, he’s still going to trust you. With that, the rest of the year will be huge for us and for our confidence in the future.”
The first benefits of the coaching change are obvious to everyone, just in the standings.
However, it is in attitude where the biggest change comes from.
“Very proud of the level of competition,” Christie said after the Kings throttled the Celtics on Friday night. “For us to be able to string together 48 minutes of solid basketball, it all goes to the players. Those guys are absolute rock stars. They went out, had a game plan and executed it.
“More than anything, it’s belief. I think they have (started) to believe in themselves and that goes beyond training. Now it’s something that belongs to them, and when they step onto the court, when they’re in any arena, they believe they have a chance to win. Sometimes the ball falls, sometimes it doesn’t. But all we are going to do is compete at a high level. If they beat us, we shake their hand and move on.”