The Boston Celtics defeated the San Antonio Spurs 116-103. Jayson Tatum scored 32 points, and Kristaps Porzingis had 29. De’Aaron Fox led San Antonio with 23 points. The Celtics were shorthanded without Jaylen Brown, Jrue Holiday, and Xavier Tillman. Meanwhile, the Spurs’ only player out was Charles Bassey. The Boston Celtics improved to 39-16, winning seven out of their last eight. The Spurs dropped to 23-29.
The Boston Celtics Hot Start
This was the first meeting of the season between the Boston Celtics and the Spurs. Victor Wembanyama got things started, scoring and blocking shots. His presence made an immediate impact, but neither team was able to build a significant lead. Tatum hit a few shots, and Boston went on an 8-0 run. Fox responded with a string of buckets, but the Celtics stayed ahead. Derrick White sparked a 10-0 run with back-to-back three-pointers. This turned into a 15-2 run, and Boston took control of a game that was deadlocked. At the end of the first quarter, the Boston Celtics led 37-19. Tatum led with 14 points.
The Boston Celtics maintained their lead with their defense. Al Horford and Porzingis were blocking shots and fighting for rebounds, which led to more offensive possessions. They pushed their lead past 20 points until Sam Antonio went on a run. Still, the Celtics stayed out front as Tatum continued to score. Wembanyama was a problem on both ends of the floor, but Boston answered with their three-point shooting. Their newest acquisition, Torrey Craig, finally saw the floor and hit two three-pointers. They pushed their lead past 20 again before the Spurs ended the half on a 5-0 run. At halftime, the Boston Celtics led 66-47.
The Boston Celtics went into halftime with a large lead. Tatum played a huge factor in said lead, scoring 21 points in the first half. In their last few games against the Knicks and Heat, Tatum has been excellent and continued that in the first half. Porzingis had 15 points on 6-of-7 shooting, and White had 13 points. Stephon Castle led the Spurs with 12 points, and Wembanyama had 10. Even though San Antonio trailed, the game was even for large portions in the first and second quarters. If their defense tightened up and the Boston Celtics went cold, they could make things interesting.
The Boston Celtics Win
The Spurs opened the third quarter on a 7-2 run. This quickly trimmed the deficit. Harrison Barnes heated up with a pair of three-pointers, and San Antonio cut the lead down to ten. They were forcing turnovers, and their shots were falling. The Celtics offense found its composure with a few Tatum buckets, but the Spurs were hot. Fox and Chris Paul were scoring, preventing Boston from building back their lead. Fox was especially hot, scoring 12 points in the quarter. At the end of the third quarter, the Boston Celtics led 93-81.
Tatum was on the bench to start the fourth quarter, and the Boston Celtics struggled. San Antonio brought the lead within single digits for the first time since the first quarter. Porzingis and Payton Pritchard made back-to-back threes, putting the Celtics on an 8-0 run. When Tatum re-entered the game, Boston led by 14. But the Spurs didn’t go away, running a full-court press and playing tenacious defense. Still, the Celtics got timely buckets and led by 15 with three minutes remaining.
Thankfully, there were no late-game shenanigans for the Boston Celtics. The Spurs never got within eight points in the fourth quarter. Boston stepped up on defense, and Tatum and Porzingis gave the offense the boost it needed down the stretch. The Boston Celtics won 116-103.
Final Thoughts
The Boston Celtics improved to 39-16 with the win. Tatum led with 32 points, 14 rebounds, and seven assists. Porzingis was not far behind with 29 points on 10-of-16 shooting. White had 19 points and nine assists. After a long slump, the Boston Celtics have won seven out of their last eight games. The Spurs fell to 23-29. Fox scored 23 points, and Castle had 20 off the bench. It was both teams’ final game before the All-Star break.
