There might be a new contender for the Celtics’ worst loss of the season.
Boston will look to put a 96-88 loss to the lowly San Antonio Spurs behind them, falling back to .500 at 10-10. Not what you want to start off with ahead of a tough stretch of games.
Meanwhile, the Spurs earn their fifth win of the season.
Here’s the full box score.
ONE BIG TAKEAWAY
Things started off atrociously bad for the Celtics.
After a signature slow start (shooting 19% from the field en route to their largest first-quarter deficit of the season), Boston never led the game until mid-way through the fourth quarter after really turning it on defensively in the third, and that effort was almost enough against a team like San Antonio.
But still, after getting out to as much as a seven-point lead, the Celtics let the Spurs retake the lead within two minutes, making for another thrilling heartbreak to a team that just isn’t good. But Boston didn’t deserve the win anyway. There are issues at hand.
STARS OF THE GAME
— Marcus Smart, again, came through with consistent hustle to bail Boston out. He made some major plays in the second half and was imperative in the fourth-quarter defense. He scored 13 points with a balanced seven rebounds, eight assists, one steal and one block.
— Grant Williams played some big boy basketball Friday night. He borderline wrestled for loose balls and made a pair of really strong rebounds, leading the bench with seven points, five boards, an assist and three blocks. He gave the Celtics their first lead of the night, and he was hyped!
— DeJounte Murray had a fine game for San Antonio, dropping a game-high 29 points with 11 rebounds, six assists, a block and three steals.
WAGER WATCH
It was quite the rollercoaster ride for those who took decent +100 odds for Jayson Tatum to surpass 26 points. In the final four minutes he was sitting at 24, but it stayed that way, winning anyone who bet the under $100 on a $120 wager.
NEXT UP
The Celtics head north of the border to face the Toronto Raptors on Sunday at 6 p.m. ET before heading back home to host the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday.
