The Celtics had seemed to learn their lesson on this road trip. Their 33-point loss to the lottery-bound Thunder reinforced their bad habits against inferior teams. Thursday’s response was the right one in their win over the Mavs. But how they followed that up two nights later against the struggling Spurs would say a lot more.
The C’s left San Antonio with a win, but it was far from convincing.
Saturday’s victory was far harder than it needed to be. The Celtics never trailed, but led big at halftime only for their defense to slip in the third quarter. They held an 11-point advantage midway through the fourth quarter before nearly melting down over the final minutes. But the Celtics ultimately overcame their shaky play as they escaped with a 121-116 victory to close the road trip.
Jayson Tatum scored 34 points and Jaylen Brown added 29 points, but it was their supporting cast that helped them push through, especially after Marcus Smart exited early due to injury. Robert Williams had one of the best games since his return with 10 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks as he dominated defensively, Malcolm Brogdon had 23 points on five 3-pointers and Derrick White dished out 11 assists in his return to San Antonio.
