The Celtics continued their recent roll, this time leaving no doubt in a blowout 134-101 win over the Spurs on Sunday in San Antonio. The Celtics are now a league-best 26-6 on the season, winning their sixth straight game. They’re also 10-6 on the road.
While the C’s played a pair of close games against the Pistons and Raptors at home, they were dominant Sunday against the 5-27 Spurs. The Celtics built up a big lead in the first quarter as it looked like it was going to be an easy night early on.
Notably, though, the Spurs fought back in the second quarter. The Celtics’ defense stagnated a bit, allowing the Spurs to cut it to a four-point game. But the C’s turned up the intensity, closing out the second quarter strong. Then the Celtics blew the game open in the third quarter, outsourcing the Spurs 40-23. That’s all they needed to secure the win.
Jayson Tatum put up 25 points and six rebounds before calling it an early night. Jaylen Brown had 24 points and six rebounds. Derrick White had 17 points and five assists in his return to San Antonio. The C’s were also without Jrue Holiday due to an elbow sprain. No. 1 pick Victor Wembanyama put up 21 points in his first-ever game against the Celtics.
The Celtics wrap up their quick road trip as they take on the Thunder at 8 p.m. Tuesday. Here are four takeaways from Boston’s win over San Antonio:
Offense continues humming: The Celtics continue putting gaudy totals up on the scoreboard, this time by scoring 134 points Sunday. It’s the seventh straight game the C’s have scored at least 120 points. There were times when the Celtics did get a bit lackadaisical on defense. But still, it’s hard to argue with the results as the C’s are also on a six-game winning streak. The offense’s pace has impressed recently as the Celtics continue improving as the season goes on.
Concluding 2023: The Celtics will finish off the 2023 portion of their schedule as the best team in the NBA with a 26-6 record. There was plenty to like from this part of the season, and the Celtics are only improving as they incorporate their new personnel to the lineup. Notably, the C’s are also healthy heading into 2024. All of those factors spell out a title contender who will be looking to take that next step after the New Year.
High hopes: Naturally, plenty of attention was going to go to Wembanyama considering his game-breaking talent. The young phenom finished with 21 points, six rebounds in his 24 minutes, though it was another losing effort. But there were plenty of flashes Sunday that showed why Wembanyama was so coveted coming into the draft. He had a mind-boggling dunk in the third quarter, skying the ball high before barely leaving the ground for the dunk. The 7-foot-4 rookie will continue turning heads all season, though it’s all a process as the Spurs hope they can win some more games.
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