The Boston Celtics put in one of their best efforts Friday at TD Garden, but it wasn’t enough to stop the San Antonio Spurs.
The C’s took a lead into the second and third quarters, but they eventually fell to San Antonio 109-103. The Spurs now are riding an eight-game winning streak and remain undefeated on the road at 9-0.
Still, it was a good basketball game, no matter which way you slice it. Here’s how it all went down.
STARTING FIVE
Isaiah Thomas, Avery Bradley, Jae Crowder, Amir Johnson, Al Horford
STARTED FROM THE TOP, NOW WE’RE HERE
The Celtics made playing the Spurs look easy in the first quarter, as Crowder scored 10 points and Bradley put up seven en route to a 32-22 lead over San Antonio heading into the second. But it all went downhill from there.
The Celtics went six minutes without scoring in the second quarter and failed to outscore the Spurs in any of the final three frames.
TRIPLE TROUBLE
The Celtics had more 3-point attempts than the Spurs, but they were much less successful. Boston took 34 shots from behind the arc, making just 12 of them, compared to San Antonio’s 11-of-24 3-point shooting.
NO FOULS, SOME HARM
It’s hard to win a game when you aren’t given many chances to score. The Celtics took just nine free-throw attempts over 48 minutes and two in the entire second half. The Spurs got a lot more calls, however, with 25 trips to the charity stripe.
OUT-BENCHED
San Antonio had a spectacular performance from its bench, racking up 53 points from the likes of guys such as Patty Mills (19 points), David Lee (15 points) and David Bertans (15 points). The Celtics, on the other hand, floundered without their starting five and mustered just 30 points from the bench. Not a single member of Boston’s bench scored in double digits.
SMARTÂ PASSING
Marcus Smart still isn’t a great shooter, but the Boston guard does a good job of making sure his teammates score for him. With 10 assists, Smart proved to be a huge playmaker, and he probably was the highlight of the Celtics’ offense.
PLAY OF THE GAME
The Celtics certainly are glad to have big man Al Horford back.
UP NEXT
The Celtics get a day to rest before heading to Miami to face Hassan Whiteside and the Heat. Tipoff for Sunday’s game at AmericanAirlines Arena is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET.
Thumbnail photo via Winslow Townson/USA TODAY Sports Images
