The San Antonio Spurs improved to a record of 27-11 after another gutty road win. Playing in Boston, the Spurs came up big in the clutch to garner a 100-95 victory. The loss dropped the Celtics to 24-14.
San Antonio outscored Boston 27-20 in the fourth quarter. In the closing 90 seconds, Victor Wembanyama hit a pair of pressured midrange shots to seal the win.
Stats: Spurs at Celtics
spurs celtics grades
Spurs at Celtics – Final Grades
Victor Wembanyama
Coming off the bench and still on a minutes restriction, Wembanyama was very good once again. He started off slowly against the Celtics but seemingly got better and better as the game progressed. By money time in the fourth quarter, Wembanyama authored big shots and key defensive plays. While it wasn’t his most efficient night at the office, the Frenchman battled through it and peaked at the right moments. His rim defense was fierce — even if his rebounding was underwhelming at times.
Grade: B+
De’Aaron Fox
This was a rock solid outing for Fox. While he was only 1-for-6 on three-pointers, he was 8-for-10 inside of the arc. His speed and ability to get to where he wanted was a game-changing attribute. Fox passed the ball well and only turned it over twice even though he was shouldering a larger burden than normal. Defensively, he was active and he aided the cause by tracking down nine rebounds.
Grade: A-
Stephon Castle
Offense was a struggle for Castle in Boston. He was 2-for-9 from two-point range and 1-for-7 from three-point range. He made matters worse by missing three of his five three throw attempts. Castle’s jumper was flat and he lacked confidence. His drives to the rim were mostly fruitless. There were some bright spots for Castle, however. His passing and playmaking were fine. He didn’t turn the ball over an inordinate amount. Most importantly, his effort and impact on defense were both commendable. But, yeah, he was too much of an offensive liability on this night.
Grade: C-
Julian Champagnie
I thought Champagnie was great. Defensively, he was smart and tactically on point. Champagnie pulled down 13 rebounds, many of which were contested. His jump into becoming a legitimately good rebounder has been impressive. Even though Champagnie didn’t shoot the ball especially well against the Celtics, he hit a couple big ones, passed the ball well and limited mistakes. His biggest shot of the night came off of an offensive rebound with less than a minute remaining. All in all, he was a major piece to this victory.
Grade: A
Harrison Barnes
The slump continues for Barnes. He was 1-for-5 from three-point range and 1-for-3 from two-point territory. He added a missed free throw and only one rebound in 26 minutes. The silver lining was the fact that Barnes wasn’t forcing the issue too much and managed to make the right pass a few times.
Grade: C-
Luke Kornet
In his return to Boston, Kornet had a relatively quiet affair. On offense, he only had two buckets and a single assist but he did a good job of staying out of the way and setting worthwhile screens. Defensively, he didn’t block a shot but he rebounded well and he was routinely in the correct position. Kornet was in the game at the end and played a winning brand of basketball down the stretch.
Grade: B
Keldon Johnson
Johnson once again illustrated why he should be in the 2025-26 Sixth Man of the Year award running. In 28 minutes, he supplied the Spurs the energy and electricity needed to grab a key road win. Offensively, he hit a timely three-pointer, finished with muscle in the lane and hit four free throws. Defensively, he was locked in more than usual and his hustle was important. On both ends of the court, Johnson was a big plus on the boards. Overall, there’s just no way San Antonio wins this game without Johnson’s contributions.
Grade: A-
Dylan Harper
There were signs of Harper breaking out of his slump. He hit a three-pointer, he had a heady drive-and-kick and looked more explosive off the dribble. Unfortunately, the rookie struggled more than he thrived. Harper didn’t make much of an impact on defense and his offense was too inefficient to classify as anything but a negative.
Grade: D+
Kelly Olynyk
Olynyk played in a vital stretch and did pretty well. He hit a big three-pointer and held up decently on the defensive end. He’s not hitting on all cylinders offensively but it’s mostly looking good on that end.
Grade: B
Lindy Waters III
In his four minutes, Waters missed a three-pointer and played okay-ish defense.
Grade: Inc.
Jeremy Sochan
Sochan tried hard on defense but the Celtics weren’t defending him on the other end and the Pole couldn’t make them pay.
Grade: Inc.
Mitch Johnson
Johnson played an important part in this road win. Sitting Castle down the stretch was the right call, as was leaning on KJ more than usual. Wembanyama got put in positions to succeed — and a lot of that was due to the playcalling.
Grade: B+