The defending NBA champions Boston Celtics defeated the San Antonio Spurs 116-103 on Wednesday at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts.
Jayson Tatum led Boston with 32 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists on 12-for-25 shooting (4-for-14 on 3-pointers). Kristaps Porzingis added 29 points and six rebounds on 10-for-16 shooting (62.5%). Derrick White finished with 19 points, seven rebounds and nine assists of 43.8% shooting (7-for-16), including 3-for-11 from downtown.
Sam Hauser added 12 points and seven rebounds, while Payton Pritchard had 10 points and seven rebounds off the bench. The Celtics were without Jaylen Brown and Jrue Holiday.
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For San Antonio, newly-acquired De'Aaron Fox had 23 points and five assists on 10-for-16 shooting in his fifth game with the Spurs. Stephon Castle scored 20 points off the bench, while Harrison Barnes added 14 points and seven rebounds. Victor Wembanyama finished with a double-double, scoring 17 points and grabbing 13 rebounds. He shot 43.8% and also had four assists.
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Boston attempted 55 3-pointers in the game, hitting 18 of them, while San Antonio went 9-for-39 (23.1%). The Celtics also dominated the boards against the Spurs, 56-38.
The Celtics vs. Spurs matchup is part of Wednesday's 15-game slate. This is one of just four days when all 30 NBA teams are in action. The game also marks the final game for both teams before they go into the All-Star break. They will both return to action on Feb. 20.
Coming into the game, Boston had lost three of its last four home games. They now improve to 17-10 at TD Garden. Overall, the Celtics (39-16) own one of the best records in the NBA. They have also won seven of its previous eight games.
On the other hand, San Antonio (23-29) ranks two spots outside the final Play-In spot in the competitive Western Conference. They are coming off a win against the Washington Wizards on Monday. The Spurs are 2-3 since trading for Fox.
This is the first meeting between the Celtics and the Spurs this season. They will battle again in San Antonio on March 29.
San Antonio Spurs vs. Boston Celtics player stats and box score
San Antonio Spurs player stats and box score
Boston Celtics player stats and box score
San Antonio Spurs vs. Boston Celtics game summary
At the end of the opening period, the Boston Celtics had an 18-point lead over the San Antonio Spurs, 37-19. A 21-4 run towards the end of the quarter created the separation for Boston. Jayson Tatum led Boston with 14 points, six rebounds and three assists on 6-for-9 shooting. Derrick White added eight points. On the other end, De'Aaron Fox had six points for San Antonio.
The Celtics continued its hot shooting in the second quarter. They led 66-47 at halftime. Tatum had 21 points and eight rebounds on 8-for-14 shooting, Kristaps Porzingis added 15 points (6-for-7 shooting) and White contributed 13 points and five assists. The trio combined for 49 points. In comparison, the Spurs scored 47 as a team.
Stephon Castle had 12 points off the San Antonio bench. Victor Wembanyama had 10 points and five rebounds, while Fox added eight.
Boston held a 93-81 lead heading into the final quarter. They had already attempted 46 3-pointers, hitting 15 of them.
In the fourth quarter, the Spurs cut the lead to eight, 93-85, but the Celtics responded and maintained control the rest of the way.
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