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This is the 1 st of a 3-game road trip for the Kings. They won Monday night at home in double overtime 123-118 against the Miami Heat. DeMar DeRozan led the Kings with 30 points. Boston is back home after a 118-106 win in Denver over the Nuggets behind 29 from Jayson Tatum.

Get the latest Kings vs. Celtics predictions ahead of Friday's showdown. Free NBA picks and predictions for January 10.

The Boston Celtics bounced back from a tough loss against the Oklahoma City Thunder by defeating the Denver Nuggets 118-106. Despite growing concerns about this team, Boston showed why they are still one of the best teams in the NBA.

But despite that drop in difficulty, the Celtics came away encouraged by Porzingis’ play. Head coach Joe Mazzulla said in his postgame news conference that Porzingis “was big-time … on both ends of the floor” and “the most physical” he’d been since his return from surgery. Teammates agreed.

It has been apparent even to the untrained eye that KP has not been himself when on the court for the Celtics since returning from an ankle injury.