SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Normally, an appearance in Sacramento by one of the Eastern Conference's elite teams and one of the NBA's most tradition-laden franchises would rank as one of the highlights in another losing season for the host Kings.
These are anything but normal days in the capital of California.
Against the backdrop of protests stemming from the fatal police shooting of an unarmed black man, the Kings (24-49) will welcome the Boston Celtics (48-23) to the Golden 1 Center for an afternoon game Sunday. Nobody's entirely sure what to expect in the first game to be held since the protests forced the home team to play in an intimate setting Thursday.