The former Eastern Conference champion Celtics traveled from Dallas to San Antonio to meet up with the Spurs at the AT&T center. San Antonio lacked three of their top scorers in Devin Vassell, Keldon Johnson, and Jakob Poeltl.
These losses due to injury caused extensive doubt about the outcome of Saturday’s game against the Celtics. Although the Spurs fell to the Boston team 121-116, the journey to the end was one they could be proud of.
If you entered the arena or tuned in thinking that the Spurs would lose by more than a five-point deficit you would be within reason. However, this team has proven to be an unpredictable competitor in the game. Eight Spurs landed double-digit points while simultaneously having three ties as the leading scorers of the night.
heck of a battle tonight 💪
gg @celtics pic.twitter.com/UqWhrMuq5Q
— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) January 8, 2023
Celtics’ Talent Too Much For Spurs In The End
Richardson got cooking late in the first quarter after slamming a 25-foot three. This shot seemed to have provided a push to everyone else because they came into the second quarter ready to put up a strong fight. The Spurs stayed competitive, remaining within a 10-point deficit of the Celtics for most of the second.
The third was when the fans really got excited and the idea of just treading behind left the atmosphere. They were willing to bring the game within one point of taking the lead three times but could never overcome it.
Josh Richardson had 18 points, two blocks, one steal, four assists, and three rebounds. Point guard Tre Jones shared in contributing 18 points, along with one steal, five assists, and five rebounds. Zach Collins joined his two teammates with 18 points plus five assists and a whopping 12 rebounds.
Up Next
The Spurs will head to Memphis for a rematch on Monday night. However, the next home game will be at the historic Alamodome on January 13th against NBA champs, the Golden State Warriors. Pack the dome!
