Celtics Wrap: Jaylen Brown Plays Leader In Strong Win Over Spurs
BOSTON — The Boston Celtics are two for two now on their homestand after defeating the San Antonio Spurs, 137-93, at TD Garden on Sunday night.
The Celtics improved to 52-23 while the Spurs dropped to 19-56 on their season.
Check out the full box score here.
ONE BIG TAKEAWAY
With Jayson Tatum ruled out just ahead of tipoff due to a left hip contusion, the call for leadership was in place to fellow All-Star Jaylen Brown, which he answered.
By halftime, Brown’s scoring total reached 26 points. He led the Celtics in scoring and rebounding, filling the much-needed void of Tatum’s absence against one of the league’s worst defenses. The Spurs, like many other Celtics opponents this month, had no answer once Brown found his rhythm.
Brown positioned the Celtics so well that head coach Joe Mazzulla was able to grant the 26-year-old a much-deserved rest, pulling him with 6:34 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter and unloading the bench.
The Celtics withstood an early Marcus Smart ejection after the gritty defensive guard was tossed with 1:14 left in the third quarter — his second of two technical fouls for chatting with the officials.
STARS OF THE GAME
— Brown led all scorers with 41 points and grabbed 13 rebounds while shooting 18-of-29 from the field. The step-up performance served as Brown’s 12th double-double of the season.
— Malcolm Brogdon filled his usual role, leading the reserve unit with 20 points off the bench alongside nine assists.
— Zach Collins was the lone bright spot on San Antonio’s side, scoring 21 points on 8-of-18 shooting from the field with seven rebounds and four assists.
WAGER WATCH
FanDuel Sportsbook set the over/under on Derrick White’s rebound total at 4.5 with -115 odds on the Over. White cleared those odds ahead of time with five rebounds recorded by the halftime buzzer. A $100 wager on the 28-year-old would’ve resulted in a $186.96 total payout.
UP NEXT
The Celtics, winners of three straight, will next hit the road and prepare to take on the Washington Wizards. Tipoff on Tuesday from Capital One Arena is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET.
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