What is the story about?
Coming off a big win at home against the Lakers but still searching for an offensive rhythm that has eluded them for a couple of weeks. They didn’t necessarily find it tonight, but they played solid defense against one of the hottest teams in the league and stayed close throughout before making clutch plays on both ends to start off a daunting three-game road trip with a win, 100-95.
Victor Wembanyama continued to make his case for Sixth Man of the Year (he might steal votes from Keldon Johnson!)
with 21 points, 3 blocks and some huge shots down the stretch, and De’Aaron Fox chipped in a quiet 21 points on 9-16 shooting. Former Spurs Derrick White gave his old team plenty of trouble with 29 points, and Jalen Brown added 27.
Observations
- Random thought from before the game: why is this game a late tip-off (8:00 ET in Boston) when the Spurs play again tomorrow on what will be an early tip-off (6:00 CT)? It’s not nationally televised, so I’m not sure what the reasoning is. On the other hand, the Timberwolves (tomorrow’s opponent) played at noon today in Cleveland (and lost) when matinees are usually saved for Sundays or holidays. Neither makes much sense, but then again when did NBA scheduling ever make sense?
- The Spurs three-point shooting struggles continued in the first quarter. 15 of their 25 attempts threes with only two makes (one each from De’Aaron Fox and Harrison Barnes), which is not a good strategy against a Celtics team that takes and makes the most threes in the league but lacks rim protection. Meanwhile the Celtics made 4-10 and were generally moving ball better on offense. The Spurs aren’t going to match them at their own game.
- It felt like a minor miracle that the Spurs were only down five at halftime. They offense remained bad other than a little spurt in the middle of the second quarter that got them from down nine to within a point, but otherwise they were shooting just 42%, 6-27 from three, while the Celtics were shooting 49%, 8-19 from three. What kept the Spurs in it was good defense inside the three-point line, and they kept everyone other than Brown and White, who had 17 points apiece, in check while also keeping them off the line with just two free throws.
- Victor Wembayama only put in about 12 minutes in the first half, and he helped with that aforementioned spurt with a three and big dunk, but otherwise the Spurs struggled to find him at times. They did much better featuring him in his third quarter stint, and he scored 8 straight games to tie the game up at 64 apiece. He also came right in to start the fourth, and they immediately took their first lead with a 5-0 run, with one of his signature “block at one end, run down for a transition dunk on the other” moments. He then played a huge role in helping them preserve down the stretch and win. He was certainly a case of box score plus/minus don’t lie at +15 for the night.
- A running theme for much of the game was whenever the Spurs had a chance to tie or take the lead (or keep the lead, in the case of the beginning of the fourth quarter) they would fail, either by turning it over, giving up a three or two to the Celtics, or just failing to get a good shot off, but they finally persevered when it matted in clutch time.
- It was another career night for Julian Champagnie, but not like last week. Although it wasn’t his finest offensive game, hitting just 2-8 from three, he had 12 points and a career-high 13 rebounds, the last of which came on an offesensive rebound off his own miss in the fast break, which got them up 97-93 with 40 seconds left. He also blocked White on a three with 7 seconds left to help preserve the lead and the game.
- Jeremy Sochan’s spot in the rotation may not be completely promised yet. He had an uneventful four-minute stint in the first half, and then Kelly Olynyk got those same few minutes in the fourth, hitting a three for a four-point play as Wemby was being knocked down in the process. Carter Bryant was back with the team after playing with the Austin Spurs yesterday, although he did not play in this one.
