Boston, MA

San Antonio Spurs (7-32) at Boston Celtics (31-9) Game #41 1/17/24

Published

2 years ago

January 17, 2024

San Antonio Spurs (7-32) at Boston Celtics (31-9) Game #41 1/17/24

The Celtics are back at home to take on the San Antonio Spurs after a short handed win in Toronto. This is the second and final game between these two teams this season. The Celtics beat the Spurs 134-101 on New Year’s Eve in San Antonio. The Celtics won the series last season 2-0, winning in Boston by 44 points. The Celtics are 46-56 overall all time against the Spurs and they are 23-28 in games played in Boston.

The Celtics remain first in the East. They are three games ahead of second-place Milwaukee, four and a half games ahead of third-place Philadelphia (who beat Denver on Tuesday), and seven games ahead of fourth-place Cleveland and fifth-place Miami. They are eight games ahead of sixth-place Indiana. They are 19-0 at home and 7-3 in their last 10 games. They are 8-3 against Western Conference opponents. They have won their last two games.

The San Antonio Spurs are 15th and in last place in the West. They are three games behind 14th-place Portland. They are eight and a half games behind 13th-place Memphis. They are 12 games behind the 10th place Los Angeles Lakers for the final play-in spot. They are 4-16 on the road and 3-7 in their last 10 games. They are 2-13 against Eastern Conference teams. They have lost their last two games.

The Celtics have been alternating home and road games for the past few games. They played at Indiana, then Minnesota at home, then at Milwaukee and Houston at home and finally at Toronto for their last game. They are once again at home to face the Spurs. They will play Denver at home on Friday before heading out on a three-game road trip through Houston, Dallas and Miami. Following that, they have a seven-game home stand.

The Spurs are playing in the second game of a five-game road trip. They played at Atlanta on Monday and lost that game 109-99. After this game at Boston, they will play Charlotte, Washington and Philadelphia to complete the five-game road trip. They will then return home for a seven-game home stand.

The Celtics may be short handed against the Spurs. Derrick White is questionable with a sprained ankle. He came up limping in Monday’s game against the Raptors but was able to finish the game. Kristaps Porzingis is questionable due to right knee inflammation. Jrue Holiday is questionable for this game due to a right elbow sprain. He suffered the elbow sprain at the end of December but has continued to play through the issue, missing just one game. I’m just going to post the regular starting five because these players may or may not play and if they don’t, I’m not sure who will start.

For the Spurs, Sidy Cissoko is listed as out due to a left ankle sprain. He has already missed five games with the injury. Zach Collins is also out with a sprained right ankle. He has been out since Dec. 31 and has yet to return to practice. Charles Bassey is out for the remainder of the season after tearing the ACL in his left knee. Victor Wembanyama was originally listed as questionable but is no longer on the report at this time.

Probable Celtics Starters

PG: Jrue Holiday
SG: Derrick White
SF: Jaylen Brown
PF: Jayson Tatum
C: Kristaps Porzingis

Celtics Reserves
Dalano Banton
Oshae Brissett
Sam Hauser
Al Horford
Svi Mykhailiuk
Payton Pritchard
Lamar Stevens
Jordan Walsh
Luke Kornet
Al Horford

2 Way Players
JD Davison
Drew Peterson
Neemias Queta

Injuries/Out
None

Head Coach
Joe Mazzulla

PG: Tre Jones

SG: Devin Vassell

SF: Julian Champagnie

PF: Jeremy Sochan

C: Victor Wembanyama

Spurs Reserves
Malaki Branham
Sidy Cissoko
Devonte Graham
Keldon Johnson
Sandro Mamukelashvili
Doug McDermott
Cedi Osman
Blake Wesley

Two Way Players
Dominick Barlow
David Duke, Jr

Injuries/Out
Zach Collins (ankle) out
Charles Bassey (knee) out
Sidy Cissoko (ankle) out

Head Coach
Gregg Popovich

Key Matchups

Kristaps Porzingis

Photo by Brian Fluharty/Getty Images
Victor Wembanyama

Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images

Kristaps Porzingis vs Victor Wembanyama
Assuming that Porzingis will play, this should be a fun matchup. Wembanyama is 7’4” while Porzingis is 7’2”. Wembanyama is averaging 19.6 points, 10.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists 1.1 steals and 3.2 blocks. He is shooting 45.9% from the field and 29.2% from beyond the arc. In the first game against Boston, Wemby finished with 21 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 block. He shot 50% from the field and 37.5% from beyond the arc. The Celtics need to be especially aware of Wemby when they are going to the basket as he is a threat to block shots every time. They also need to keep him out of the paint and off the glass.

Derrick White

Photo by Brian Fluharty/Getty Images
Devin Vassell

Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images

Derrick White vs Devin Vassell
Vassell is averaging 17.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.2 steals per game. He is shooting 45.4% from the field and 36.1% from beyond the arc. In the first game against the Celtics, he finished with 22 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist and 2 steals. He shot 60% from the field and 50% from beyond the arc. The Celtics have to do a better job of defending him in this game.

Honorable Mention
Sam Hauser vs Keldon Johnson
Johnson comes off the bench for the Spurs and is averaging 17.2 points, 6 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game. He is shooting 44.6% from the field and 34.6% from beyond the arc. The Celtics need Hauser and the Celtics reserves to step up to match Johnson’s impact on the game. He didn’t play against the Celtics in the first game in San Antonio.

Keys to the Game
Defense – Defense will always be the most important key to winning games. The Celtics are second with a defensive rating of 110.6 while the Spurs are 24th with a defensive rating of 117.5. The Celtics have to especially defend in the paint since the Spurs average 49.6 points in the paint per game. The Celtics need to make defense a priority and play tough team defense in every game and not let up.

Rebound – The Celtics can’t score if they don’t have the ball, and they will struggle if they give up second chance points to the Spurs. The Celtics are averaging 47.4 rebounds per game (first) while the Spurs are averaging 43.2 rebounds per game (21st). Rebounding takes effort and when the Celtics put forth the extra effort on the boards, that tends to spread to other areas of the game as well.

Be Aggressive – The Celtics need to play hard and be the more aggressive team. They have to go after rebounds, loose balls, and 50/50 balls. They have to be aggressive on defense and in getting to the basket. They have to be the team that works harder and wants to win more. Even the last team in the standings can beat the #1 team if they play harder and are more aggressive.

Play the Right Way – The Celtics need to move the ball to find the best shot. When they play hero ball and don’t keep the ball moving, the Celtics struggle. But, when they keep the ball moving and move without the ball, they are very tough to beat. They need to focus on playing defense and having each others backs. They need to crash the boards and box out. They need to focus on taking and making good shots. If the 3’s aren’t falling, take the ball to the basket. Play with focus and with energy.

X-Factors
Home Game and Don’t Underestimate – The Spurs are playing in their second straight road game and have three more to go. The Spurs will likely be feeling some fatigue from travel and being on the road and from staying in hotels and playing in front of hostile crowds. The Celtics need to take advantage of having the crowd behind them and from playing in the friendly confines of the TD Garden. The Celtics can’t underestimate the Spurs based on their 33-point win in San Antonio and the Spurs record. If a team underestimates an opponent, even the worst team in the league, there’s always a chance it can come back to bite them.

Injuries – The Celtics have three players listed as questionable on the injury report. Their status will be a game time decision. It goes without saying that this game will be a lot tougher without Jrue Holiday, Derrick White and Kristaps Porzingis. If one or more of those starters are out, it will be up to the remaining players to pick up their games and to play harder. Hopefully at least one or two of them will be able to play.

Officiating – Officiating is always an X-Factor. Every crew officiates differently and teams need to adjust to the way the game is called. Will they call the game evenly or favor the home team? Will they call it tight or let them play? It seems that the officiating has been particularly poor this season so far. Hopefully we get fair officiating and they let them play and the Celtics focus on playing and not on the officiating.

And make sure to check out CelticsBlog’s Playback stream for a live conversation about the game. To participate, just create a free account, connect your LP sub if you have it, and join our community!

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Boston, MA

Red Sox rotation contender strikes out four in dominant outing

Published

4 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

Red Sox rotation contender strikes out four in dominant outing

FORT MYERS, Fla. — Johan Oviedo’s first outing of the spring last week didn’t go great, as the right-hander walked three over 1 2/3 innings in a performance manager Alex Cora described as “erratic.”

His second outing on Monday went much better.

Oviedo was dominant in Monday’s 7-6 win over the Toronto Blue Jays in Dunedin, striking out four over three scoreless innings while holding Toronto to two hits and no walks. He was also highly efficient, throwing 25 of his 31 pitches for strikes while drawing five whiffs.

After allowing a leadoff single to George Springer out of the gate, Oviedo got a strikeout and a double play to quickly get out of the first. He followed that by pitching around a harmless one-out single in the second before sending the Blue Jays down 1-2-3 to finish his outing in the third.

Viewed as the likely top candidate to earn Boston’s No. 5 rotation spot heading into camp, Oviedo clearly helped out his cause with the brilliant showing. He will be in line to make his next start on Saturday.

Gonzales smokes one

Justin Gonzales, a hulking 6-foot-7 outfielder and Boston’s No. 6 prospect according to MLB Pipeline’s latest rankings, made the trip up to Dunedin with the big league club and showed off his power in breathtaking fashion.

In the top of the ninth inning the 19-year-old scorched a single that was measured at 117.3 mph off the bat. According to MLB researcher Sarah Langs’ Daily Statcast leaders, that is the second hardest exit velocity recorded by any player so far this spring. The only ball hit harder was Kansas City Royals’ slugger Jac Caglianone’s 120.2 mph double on Feb. 26.

Franklin Arias, a 20-year-old infielder and Boston’s consensus No. 2 prospect, also made the trip and got the start at shortstop. He went 0 for 3 with two strikeouts at the plate but helped turn a double play to end the bottom of the first.

Big day for Gasper

Monday’s lineup consisted largely of players who are likely to start the season in the minor leagues, but even with that being the case, Mickey Gasper made a strong impression.

The Red Sox catcher and utility player led the offense by going 2 for 3 with a home run and three RBI. Gasper had an RBI single in the top of the third and followed that by crushing a two-run home run with two outs in the top of the fifth.

Nathan Hickey (1 for 2) also had a two-run home run to put the Red Sox ahead for good in the top of the eighth, Allan Castro (2 for 3, stolen base) hit a game-tying solo shot in the sixth, Max Ferguson (1 for 2, walk) had an RBI double and Braiden Ward went 2 for 3 with a stolen base.

Watson struggles

Ryan Watson, a Rule 5 pick looking to make the Red Sox roster as a rookie, had a tough outing on Monday. The right-hander allowed four runs over 2/3 of an inning on one hit, two walks and a hit by pitch.

Watson led off the inning with a lineout before allowing a single, hit by pitch and a walk to load the bases. He then drew a run-scoring groundout before walking another batter to reload the bases. At that point manager Alex Cora lifted the rookie and all three inherited runners came around to score when minor leaguer Patrick Halligan allowed a grand slam to Blue Jays third baseman Addison Barger.

Coming up next

The Red Sox will host Team Puerto Rico in an exhibition at JetBlue Park on Tuesday night ahead of the World Baseball Classic. Left-hander Jake Bennett will get the start for the Red Sox, and Zack Kelly, Tyler Uberstine, Tyler Samaniego and Vinny Nittoli are all scheduled to pitch for Boston too. First pitch is scheduled for 6:05 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on NESN+, NESN 360 and WEEI 93.7 FM.

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Boston, MA

Monster effort from Neemias Queta helps pave the way for Celtics in win over 76ers – The Boston Globe

Published

16 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

Monster effort from Neemias Queta helps pave the way for Celtics in win over 76ers – The Boston Globe

Queta has been a revelation for the Celtics this season and helped them improbably surge into second place in the Eastern Conference. But it is unlikely he or his team envisioned nights like Sunday, when he crafted the best game of his career to propel Boston to a 114-98 win over the 76ers at TD Garden, its 11th in 13 games.

The 26-year-old center finished with 27 points and 17 rebounds and received ‘MVP’ chants several times in the fourth quarter.

“I thought he’s had great ownership and responsibility to what it calls for to be a starting center for the Celtics, and he’s got to continue to get better,” Mazzulla said. “He works at it. He cares. So, it’s a credit to him.”

The Celtics, who entered the night averaging 17.1 second-chance points per game, poured in 30 Sunday, with Queta leading the charge. With 76ers center Andre Drummond often playing up and trying to congest the lanes for Boston’s talented ballhandlers, Queta forcefully and quickly found space around the rim.

“We just gave him the ball and trusted him to make the right decision every time, and he was able to get it going,” forward Jaylen Brown said. “He had some nice up-and-unders in the seam and stuff like that that helped propel us to a win.”

Brown added 27 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists for Boston.

Tyrese Maxey had 33 points to lead the 76ers, but they did not come easily. The All-Star guard played 43 minutes and made just 12 of 34 shots. Philadelphia was without star center Joel Embiid (oblique).

“He didn’t have a ton of layups, didn’t have a ton of free throws,” Mazzulla said of Maxey. “I thought he obviously missed some good shots, but when you have the ball as much as he did, I thought we did a really good job just being disciplined, defending without fouling, keeping him out of transition.”

The Celtics improved to 40-20, with just 22 games remaining in the regular season. After the game, there was a visible reminder of what could be on the way.

Star forward Jayson Tatum, who could be nearing a return from last May’s Achilles injury, sat at his locker and laughed and joked with team staffers. He also posted the latest clip from the NBC docuseries about his comeback on his social media accounts.

Jayson Tatum, who has yet to play this season, liked what he saw from the Celtics bench.Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff

For now, of course, the Celtics continue to plow forward without him. On Sunday, Boston quickly wiped away an early 10-point deficit behind Queta. He registered five offensive rebounds in the opening period, and flashed an unusual amount of offensive creativity during his dominant second quarter.

During one stretch, he danced through the lane for a basket, converted a putback, then dazzled the crowd by trailing a fast break, taking a pass from Brown, and converting an acrobatic scoop shot that gave Boston a 40-35 lead.

“We don’t want him to get too carried away with some of those,” Brown said, smiling. “But he was converting them tonight and it looked good.”

Queta reminded everyone that much of his value comes from his defensive work when he swatted a Kelly Oubre Jr. shot out of bounds, and he received a rare standing ovation when he checked out moments later.

Neemias Queta's performance put a smile on Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla. — Neemias Queta’s performance put a smile on Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla.Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff

Finally, after a well-executed two-for-one opportunity, Brown found Baylor Scheierman, who played with a splint on his broken left thumb, in the right corner; he hit a buzzer-beating 3-pointer that gave Boston a 62-50 lead at the break. Scheierman gave a high thumbs-up with his bandaged digit.

The Celtics led by 16 early in the third quarter, but the 76ers continued to push back. Three-pointers in the final minute by Quentin Grimes and Maxey made it 89-83 at the start of the fourth.

The 76ers trailed by 6 with four minutes left in the fourth quarter but missed their next five shots, any one of which could have put real pressure on Boston.

With 2:56 left, Queta converted a layup as he was fouled, stretching the lead back to 105-97. He received ‘MVP’ chants for the second time in the quarter when he went to the foul line. Then, with 1:56 left, he put an exclamation point on his memorable night by grabbing yet another offensive rebound and throwing down a two-handed dunk that made it 109-98.

“I thought Neemi matched and exceeded the [76ers] physicality,” Mazzulla said.

Jaylen Brown has become the leader of the Celtics while Tatum has been away. Will Tatum returning cause locker-room drama?

Adam Himmelsbach can be reached at adam.himmelsbach@globe.com. Follow him @adamhimmelsbach.

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Boston, MA

Bruins Believe They ‘Didn’t Do Enough’ In Loss To Flyers | NESN

Published

1 day ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Bruins Believe They ‘Didn’t Do Enough’ In Loss To Flyers | NESN

The Boston Bruins suffered a 3-1 road loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday.

Boston entered the game in points in eight-straight games, as the Bruins are competing for a playoff spot. However, Boston’s offense struggled on Saturday, as the Bruins scored just once on Dan Vladar, and head coach Marco Sturm felt like the team didn’t do enough to create more scoring chances.

“(Vladar) played really good, he kind of made those saves he needed to,” Sturm said as seen on NESN’s postgame coverage on Saturday. “We just didn’t do enough of a good job being around him or being front of him.”

Although Sturm didn’t like Boston’s play, Vladar still made some key stops when the game was close.

Bruins forward Morgan Geekie had multiple chances and was frustrated that he couldn’t score on any of them.

“Just one of those nights,” Geekie said. “Their goalie played well. Couldn’t quite put it in the spot I wanted to a couple times and Dan made a couple great plays.”

Boston’s lone goal came from Charlie McAvoy, while Jeremy Swayman made 14 saves on 16 shots, as Philadelphia added an empty-netter to secure the win.

With the loss, the Bruins fell to 33-21-5 and are holding onto the final Wild Card spot. Boston will return to the ice at home on Tuesday against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

More NHL: Charlie McAvoy’s Mother Reveals His Immediate Reaction To Team USA’s Gold Medal Win

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