Before the Celtics faced the Spurs Wednesday, coach Joe Mazzulla called it one of the most important games “because of the temptation of what lies ahead.”
Later, forward Jayson Tatum echoed that sentiment, acknowledging that the final game before the All-Star break can pose unique challenges.
“[It] is always mentally, I think, one of the toughest games of the year,” Tatum said. “It’s a long season, been traveling a lot, guys got plans for vacation with their families and things like that. In recent years we’ve dropped this game a few times.”
But when this one began, there were no indications that the Celtics’ minds were anywhere else. They roared to a 24-point first-half lead, pushed back a few San Antonio runs and eventually secured a 116-103 win.
A few weeks ago, there was increasing angst about the state of the Celtics. Wins were followed by losses, and even some of the good nights seemed to lack the dominance this team displayed so often in the past.
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But Boston appears to have answered questions about its midseason malaise. Center Kristaps Porzingis was a voice of reason during the mild downturn, consistently insisting that everything would be all right.
When it was pointed out that the Celtics have won seven of eight games, Porzingis said the Celtics probably should have come out on top in their Feb. 6 home loss to the Mavericks, too.
“I think the luck is starting to turn our way, and that’s it,” he said. “We’ve just got to stay with it, and I think, as I said before, I want to speak it into existence that we’re going to peak at the right moment, and we’re going to hit our stride and just look like a team that’s going to win it all again.”
Tatum had 32 points, 14 rebounds and 7 assists to lead Boston, and Porzingis added 29 points. The Celtics out-rebounded the Spurs, 56-38.
Torrey Craig, who was signed last week after the Celtics traded Jaden Springer to the Rockets, had a successful debut. The veteran wing played nine minutes, hit both of his 3-point attempts, and showed off some of the defensive versatility that the Celtics value so highly.
Craig, who was waived by the Bulls when the team needed to create roster openings in order to complete the trade that sent Zach LaVine to the Kings, had been sidelined since spraining his ankle in early January.
He said he is in better shape than he thought he would be after such a lengthy layoff, and he has spent the last week trying to master the Celtics’ terminology.
“We’re professionals,” Craig said. “It shouldn’t be that hard to figure out. I kind of adjusted as I was out there, kind of picked up on a lot of things out there. And I’ll continue to do that.”
The Celtics won easily despite committing 17 turnovers and making just 14 of 21 free throws. Boston was without Jaylen Brown (knee) and Jrue Holiday (shoulder).
De’Aaron Fox scored 23 points to lead the Spurs, who were never able to overcome their 1 for 17 start from the 3-point line. Victor Wembanyama had 17 points and 13 rebounds.
Wembanyama remains one of the biggest curiosities in sports, and he started this game by quickly displaying his diverse skill set. He drained a 15-footer on the Spurs’ first possession, and at the other end he swatted away Al Horford’s driving layup attempt.
But the big man’s impact over the rest of the half was muted. When he brought the ball upcourt, Derrick White slithered behind him for one of his trademark poke-away steals. Tatum roared past him for a dunk, and Porzingis shook him with an array of fakes before scoring inside.
“I thought he hit me a little bit too,” Porzingis said, smiling. “I was trying to get the foul, and just a little fist pump to celebrate with the fans that I got one over Wemby, and just competing.”
Craig’s second 3-pointer, with 39 seconds left in the second quarter, gave the Celtics a 66-42 lead, their largest. But he may have struck too soon, because he left enough time for the Spurs to counter-attack with a two-for-one chance. They closed the half with a 5-0 burst and carried some of that momentum into the third quarter.
A 3-point play by Fox capped a 15-6 run that sliced the deficit to 72-62. The Celtics kept the Spurs from inching closer over the rest of the quarter, but San Antonio lingered in part because Tatum missed all four of his 3-point attempts and went 1 for 4 from the foul line.
The Spurs pulled within 93-85 on a Keldon Johnson layup with 10:41 left. Then back-to-back 3-pointers by Porzingis and Payton Pritchard extinguished San Antonio’s comeback hopes and sent the Celtics into the break feeling just fine.
