Trade winds swirl around Kings; De’Aaron Fox sits out in historic 53-point loss to Celtics

De’Aaron Fox missed his second game in a row while trade winds continued to swirl around the Kings, but the downward spiral that is sucking the life out of their season seems to be spinning even faster.

Interim Kings coach Alvin Gentry didn’t try to sugarcoat the situation after the Kings suffered a historically bad 128-75 loss to the Boston Celtics on Tuesday at TD Garden. The Celtics led by as many as 60 points, setting a record for the largest lead in the franchise’s storied 76-year history.

“We basically got our ass kicked,” Gentry said. “I don’t know any other way to put it.”

This was a 53-point Beantown beatdown. The Celtics beat the Chicago Bulls by 56 in 2018. Prior to that, they had not beaten a team by 50 since the night Bill Russell posted 21 points, 23 rebounds and seven assists in a 153-102 victory over the Philadelphia Warriors. That game against the Bulls was on the road, so Tuesday’s win over the Kings was the largest margin of victory ever for the Celtics at home.

“We just got whooped — old-fashioned whoopin’,” Kings center Richaun Holmes said. “They made shots. We couldn’t make nothing. They didn’t have much resistance from us, so it was an old-fashioned whoopin’.”

Jayson Tatum scored 36 points to lead the Celtics (25-24). Jaylen Brown had 30 points and 10 rebounds.

Buddy Hield scored 11 points to lead the Kings (18-31), who have lost four in a row and nine of their last 11. Hield went just 4 of 14 from the field and 3 of 9 from 3-point range, but he was the only player to score in double figures for Sacramento.

Tyrese Haliburton had seven points, five rebounds and seven assists for the Kings. Harrison Barnes was held to four points on 1-of-12 shooting. Davion Mitchell struggled as well, going 3 of 15 from the field. Haliburton, Barnes and Mitchell combined to go 0 of 16 from 3-point range.

“We got cooked,” Haliburton said.

Terence Davis injured

The Celtics outscored the Kings 33-7 over the first 9:14 with Tatum and Brown combining for 24 points on 8-of-12 shooting. The Kings went 3 of 26 from the field and 1 of 13 from 3-point range. They even missed three shots at the rim on a 3-on-2 fastbreak.

There was a scary moment when Kings guard Terence Davis went down hard under the basket after being fouled by Aaron Nesmith on a driving layup midway through the second quarter. Davis stayed in the game to shoot the free throw after trainers bandaged a cut above his right eye, but he was quickly subbed out and sent to the locker room for further evaluation and treatment. The team later announced Davis would not return to the game.

After the game, Gentry said Davis suffered a wrist injury on the play. Gentry said Davis was icing the wrist, but he didn’t have further information.

The Kings were down 63-30 at the half, their lowest-scoring half of the season. They made 10 of 49 (.208) from the field and 1 of 20 (.053) from 3-point range. The Celtics led by 40 early in the third quarter. They went up by as many as 60 when Josh Richardson made a layup to put the Celtics up 128-68 with 1:29 to play in the fourth.

Gentry, Holmes and Haliburton were asked what the team needs with the Feb. 10 trade deadline approaching. They said they need to stay together and get better.

“I think we’ve got everything we need in the locker room now to win,” Holmes said. “Just honestly have to get the mindset and the mentality right, but I trust the guys in the locker room and I’ll go to war with those guys every day. We have what it takes to win. We’ve just got to prove it.”

Trade winds

Several Kings players have heard their names come up in reported trade talks, including Fox, Haliburton, Holmes, Hield, Barnes and Marvin Bagley III. The organization would prefer to continue building around Fox and Haliburton, but even Fox admitted anything can happen before the trade deadline.

Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer reported the Kings and Atlanta Hawks remain engaged in talks with the Philadelphia 76ers for Ben Simmons, but the 76ers “continue to hold firm in their lofty asking price.” Bleacher Report noted the Kings and Hawks are emerging as strong suitors for Detroit Pistons forward Jerami Grant, joining a long list of teams that includes to the Los Angeles Lakers, Portland Trail Blazers, Minnesota Timberwolves, New York Knicks and Utah Jazz.

Grant has one year remaining on a three-year, $60 million deal. The 27-year-old small forward is averaging 20.1 points and 4.8 rebounds this season, but he is shooting 33.1% from 3-point range and has been out since Dec. 10 after having surgery to repair torn ligaments in his right thumb.

James L. Edwards of The Athletic reported the Detroit Pistons are expected to be active at the trade deadline, but he warned it would be no surprise if Grant isn’t traded before the deadline. Edwards suggested the Pistons might be eyeing a young big man like Bagley or Jalen Smith of the Phoenix Suns as potential targets at the trade deadline, but they might be looking to use Josh Jackson and Cory Joseph as trade chips instead of Grant. The Athletic’s Sam Amick reported the 76ers have asked the Kings for Haliburton and multiple first-round draft picks in exchange for Simmons, but the Kings appear to be unwilling to accept such a proposal.