BSJ Game Report: Celtics 134, Spurs 101 - Monster third quarter leads to blowout win

Everything you need to know about the Celtics win over the San Antonio Spurs, with BSJ insight and analysis

IN A NUTSHELL

Derrick White and Jaylen Brown each had eight points to pace the Celtics in the first to take an eight point lead. They added four to that in the second, but the first half just felt casual with light defensive effort. That changed in the third quarter when Boston flexed, San Antonio turtled, and the lead ballooned to 30. It was garbage time after that.

Box Score

HEADLINES

- Boston is good: Not much more to say other than the Boston Celtics are a very good basketball team and when they don’t face a good defense, they can do whatever they feel like doing. The first two quarters were very casual and they still led by 12. The third quarter was not casual, and they blew the doors off the Spurs.

- San Antonio is not good: This isn’t a Tim Duncan situation where the Spurs tanked, got the number one pick, and were suddenly dominant. Of course, that Spurs team was also getting David Robinson back from injury. Anyway, this is a much different situation. I’d say 90% of these guys aren’t around whenever the Spurs are contenders again. 

TURNING POINT

The Celtics came out of the break on a 12-2 run and never looked back. Brown and Jayson Tatum did what stars do, combining for 26 in the third. 

THINGS I LIKED

- Jaylen Brown continuing his roll: 24 points on 13 shots so he was efficient. Three assists so he moved the ball. A couple of steals so he was active on defense. He mixed both of them together on one play. 

Mix in some dunks of his own and you got yourself a perfect JB game. 

- Jayson Tatum: Got the 3-pointer working, and I’m going to attribute it to him not going looking for it like he has in previous game. His first was on a catch-and-shoot and that wasn’t the only one he took. Also, nice to see the two blocks on the defensive end. 

- Kristaps Porzingis positive impact: He was the only Celtic who shot like crap, but he managed to be a team-best +33. He made a lot happen. 

- Derrick White: Another good game out of him. 17 points and five assists and his typical good defense. 

- Minutes: Tatum led the team with just under 31 minutes. No one else crossed 30. Al Horford played 19:39. 

- Offensive execution: Via Dick Lipe: This is the 7th straight game that the Celtics have scored 120+ points, their longest streak since 1967. Team record of 9 was set back in 1960.

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE

- Second quarter defense: Literally the only negative in this game, and even that wasn’t a big deal. 

“There was a couple mistakes with good intentions,” Joe Mazzulla said. “We threw the ball off each other's faces. We didn't catch a couple passes. So there were some good intentions there, but that let them get out in transition. And I thought there was about four or five possessions where we just weren't great guarding the rim which allowed them to get some layup to their right hands.

“We just had to turn it up a little bit. We're not at our best when we were not organized offensively and we're not detailed defensively, but we got ourselves out of it quick.”

- That this game is on New Year’s Eve: C’mon NBA. Let me live. 

HIGHLIGHTS

TWO TAKES KARALIS WILL PROBABLY REGRET LATER

- This is exactly how a good team vs. bad team win goes in the NBA.

The Celtics came out and built a little lead and then coasted a little bit. Casual is the best word I can use with them because that's how they looked. But they were casual while still adding to the lead. Then they put one big flex on the Spurs and the starters sat in the fourth quarter. 

It’s basically how you want it to go unless you want to get real nitpicky. 

They didn’t look ahead to the Thunder. They didn’t coast until the fourth quarter. They played two awesome quarters and one kind of three-quarter speed one and it was more than enough. 

- Victor Wembanyama is ridiculous: He didn't have anywhere close to his best game of the season, and he's nowhere close to where he will eventually be as a player. But you can see the little glimpses of how stupid it is that he can do some of the things that he does. Look at this play:

Look at where picked up the ball!!!

That was a simple, two-step, hold the ball up out of the guard's way, and dunk it ... but starting from 25 feet away. 

Look, Celtics. Your time is now, so cash in on the opportunity you have to win a title or two here because it won't be long before Wembanyama owns this league. If Boston is eventually going to be in a rebuilding process, I think doing it at the peak of Wemby's powers would be good timing. 

Next Up: The Celtics travel to OKC on Tuesday night