The Boston Celtics extended their winning streak to seven games Saturday in San Antonio with a 135-115 win, but it came at a cost.
Gordon Hayward suffered a fractured left hand in the second quarter of the win, which certainly dampened another solid performance from Brad Stevens’ squad.
Jaylen Brown led the scoring for Boston with 30 points and seven rebounds on 10-of-19 shooting. Kemba Walker (26), Jayson Tatum (19), Marcus Smart (16) and Robert Williams (11) all finished in double figures for the Celtics. Williams had arguably his best game in a Celtics uniform, adding seven rebounds and a career-high six blocks.Â
DeMar DeRozan led the way for San Antonio with 22 points.
The Celtics improved to 7-1 with the win, while the Spurs fell to 5-4. The victory was Boston’s first in San Antonio since 2011.
Here’s how it all went down:
STARTING FIVE
PG:Â Kemba Walker
SG: Jayson Tatum
SF: Jaylen Brown
PF: Gordon Hayward
C: Daniel Theis
SLOW START, STRONG CLOSE
Boston got off to a sloppy start, allowing San Antonio to jump out to a quick 7-0 lead. But Brown responded with a 7-0 run of his own, kicking off a 16-3 Celtics stretch spurred by some strong defense.
Boston didn’t stop there, extending the stretch into a 32-10 run. San Antonio’s work on the offensive glass kept them in the game, however, as the Spurs out-rebounded the Celtics 15-8 thanks to six offensive boards.
The Celtics had struggled in first quarters entering Saturday, but their latest opening frame was quite the opposite. They shot 58.3 percent en route to a 39-30 lead, which was good for their highest-scoring quarter of the season.
Brown had a game-high 12 first-quarter points.
STILL ROLLING, BUT TAKING A HIT
The Celtics’ stout defense continued early in the second, as Boston collected its sixth steal just one minute into the quarter. The defense dictated the other end of the court, leading to all sorts of success with the ball.
Boston’s offense continued rolling, posting their highest-scoring first half of the season behind Brown and his continued impressive stretch. He had 20 points on 6-of-9 shooting, helping the Celtics grab a 72-54 lead at the break.
The 72-point first half was the highest-scoring half the Spurs have given up this season.
One negative from the second quarter was Hayward’s exit. The 29-year-old suffered a fractured left hand after a collision with LaMarcus Aldridge, the team announced prior to the start of the second half.
SPURS HANG AROUND
While Hayward’s injury news casted a dark cloud over the second half, Boston’s offense continued to roll.
The Spurs were able to exchange buckets and stay within striking distance to the point where they found themselves back in the game with four minutes left in the quarter by cutting the deficit to 12 points.
Williams had a solid quarter inside for Boston, while Brown and Walker paced the Celtics’ scoring punch, giving them a 104-91 lead after three.
SEALING THE DEAL
Boston cruised the rest of the way, with Williams’s career game continuing to lead the way. His rim-running ways dominated at AT&T Center.
The game never was close down the stretch, as the Celtics coasted to their seventh consecutive win. Their point total of 135 was a season-high.
PLAY OF THE GAME
Javonte Green highlights always are “play of the game” worthy.
UP NEXT
The Celtics return home to face the Dallas Mavericks on Monday, with tip-off set for 7:30 p.m. ET.
