Celtics vs. Kings preview: Boston aims to get back on track in Sacramento

The Boston Celtics expect Rajon Rondo and Leandro Barbosa to return to their rotation Sunday as they face the Sacramento Kings on the second night of a back-to-back and the last game of a three-game West Coast road trip at 9:00 pm ET.

The Celtics, who have lost two-consecutive games by 29 and 18, respectively, will look to get back on track when they square off against the struggling Kings.

Boston will also get a firsthand preview of a potential trade target when it's undersized front court matches up against the extremely talented Sacramento center, DeMarcus Cousins.

After serving a one-game suspension, Cousins returned to action Friday against the New York Knicks by dropping 15 points and 10 rebounds in the one-point victory.

As trade speculation swirls, Cousins and the Kings will be met with an exhausted Celtics squad who desperately need to get back on track.

With the loss to the Golden State Warriors, the Celtics have lost 10 of their last 15 including seven of their last eight games on the road.

Paul Pierce scored 13 points on 20 attempts Saturday night, meaning after scoring over 30 points in two-straight games, Pierce has registered a combined 33 points over the previous three games.

The Boston faithful got a taste of what the Celtics look like without Rondo behind the wheel, who missed the game Saturday thanks to a bruised hip and thigh. The Celtics, as a team, dished out 18 assists in the blowout loss without Rondo, who is averaging just over 11 assists per game. That led to a dreadful 36 percent shooting performance as a team and a frustrating night for the group of Boston veterans.

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