Two nights after one of their flattest performances of the season, the Celtics delivered exactly the kind of response Joe Mazzulla has been preaching all year.

Boston never trailed Friday night, leading by as many as 31 points in a 112-93 demolition of the Kings (12-38) at TD Garden. Playing without Jaylen Brown (hamstring, knee), the Celtics leaned into their depth, pace, and physicality, turning the game into a blowout by halftime and cruising the rest of the way.

Payton Pritchard led the charge with 29 points as six Celtics scored in double figures.

The win moved Boston to 30-18, keeping them tied for the No. 2 seed in the East as they close out their homestand Sunday against Milwaukee (18-28).

Here are four takeaways from Friday’s win:

Queta’s emergence continues to be one of the quieter storylines of Boston’s season - and a loud reminder for the team that once let him walk.

Back from an illness, Queta posted 10 points and 15 rebounds, controlling the glass and anchoring the paint against a Kings frontcourt that never matched his physicality.

Sacramento chose to move on from Queta in 2023 in favor of a declining JaVale McGee. Now, Queta looks like a legitimate rotation center for an Eastern Conference contender.

With Boston still thin up front and constantly evaluating its big-man depth, nights like this only strengthen Queta’s case of being their big man of the future.

This was not a math-ball win. It was a demolition inside the arc.

The Celtics carved up Sacramento’s pick-and-roll coverage early, shooting an absurd 85% in the first half (17 of 20) with a steady stream of layups, cuts, and rim finishes.

Boston poured in 72 first-half points, building the game-breaking lead without needing to rely on volume three-point shooting.

It was a reminder that when the Celtics play with force and decisiveness, they don’t need perfect shooting nights to overwhelm inferior teams.

This has become a trend, not a coincidence.

Whenever Boston is shorthanded, Pritchard seems to shift gears.

With Brown out, the guard took full command early, piling up 22 points and 8 assists in the first half alone.

He repeatedly hunted mismatches, punished soft coverage, and dictated the tempo in a way that made Sacramento look overwhelmed.

According to legendary Celtics researcher Dick Lipe, Pritchard became just the fifth player in the play-by-play era to post that stat line in a first half while shooting 80% from the field - rare air, regardless of opponent.

Sacramento was on the second night of a back-to-back, but fatigue only explains so much.

This roster still feels disjointed - an awkward blend of expensive veterans and stalled development, and Friday only reinforced the sense that meaningful change is coming.

Zach LaVine led the Kings with 17 points, but there was little resistance, urgency, or cohesion once Boston punched first.

Seven straight losses later, the Kings don’t look like a team waiting for a bounce-back. They look like one staring down a long teardown.

The Celtics didn’t just bounce back Friday night.

They reasserted who they are when locked in: deep, adaptable, and capable of overwhelming teams even without one of their stars.

Against Milwaukee on Sunday, the test gets real again. But after Wednesday’s stumble, this was exactly the response Boston needed.

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Tom Carroll is a contributor for Roundtable, with boots-on-the-ground coverage of all things Boston sports. He's a senior digital content producer for WEEI.com, and a native of Lincoln, RI.