The Boston Celtics dismantled the visiting San Antonio Spurs Wednesday night, cruising to a 117-98 win. With the result, the Celtics move to 20-0 at home to open the 2023-24 season, extending a franchise record.
This was the first opportunity for basketball fans in Boston to see rookie phenom Victor Wembanyama in the flesh. And the 7-foot-4 French national did not disappoint. Wembanyama finished with 27 points and 5 rebounds, although this was not enough to lift the visiting team to a win. The Celtics, meanwhile, debuted their own rookie Jordan Walsh, who saw his first real NBA action. The Arkansas alum logged 4 in his 3 minutes of gameplay.
Here’s what you may have missed from Boston’s dominant victory over the Spurs at TD Garden Wednesday night.
Celtics Lab 236: Projecting season-long hardware at 2023-24's midpoint with Kwani Lunis https://t.co/MN1NEd7w1T pic.twitter.com/unqku17fYH
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) January 17, 2024
Boston offense
The Celtics jumped out to an early lead thanks to hot 3-point shooting, a consistent theme for this group. At halftime Boston was 13-for-19 from deep, and ended the game shooting 47.4% overall on 3s. Jrue Holiday in particular had a hot night, going 6-for-7 from beyond the arc, one of his best outings as a pro.
Even if the Celtics didn’t go full supernova shooting the ball, the offense came rather easily elsewhere, thanks in part to effective defense. By forcing 10 turnovers, Boston was able to get out and run.
The Celtics had 15 fastbreak points, which helped build the lead even further. And while San Antonio entered Wednesday’s action ranked 24th in the NBA in defensive rating, things looked even more lopsided than that for much of the game.
Isaiah Thomas and the Celtics: Reliving a golden era of Boston fandom https://t.co/30xK0D51AW pic.twitter.com/PylT8k2n3r
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) January 17, 2024
Boston's defense
The Celtics were without Kristaps Porzingis and Derrick White, and as a result, Luke Kornet and Al Horford were promoted to the starting lineup. Boston’s defense didn’t miss a beat.
Kornet played one of his most physical games of the season, and defended Wembanyama admirably. The Vanderbilt alum turned in 6 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 blocks in 30 minutes of action in just his second start as a member of the Celtics.
San Antonio did outscore Boston 33-24 in the third quarter. It wasn’t a total cakewalk for the guys in green. This may have been a lack of focus on the part of the Celtics more than anything, however, and a by the fourth quarter Boston was back.
Looking ahead
Boston’s next game promises to be a good one. The Celtics are set to host the reigning champion Denver Nuggets and two-time MVP Nikola Jokic Friday night.
This is the first of two games between the two title contenders this season, and Boston will travel to Denver in early March. Last year the Celtics split the season series with the Nuggets.
From there Boston hits the road for a few tough road games, including a trip to South Beach to face the rival Miami Heat.
Derrick White is an All-Star, but that might be the last thing he's worried about https://t.co/xx36xfGOBX pic.twitter.com/jleGy3ACKb
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) January 17, 2024
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