Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs notched another victory (Photo via X)
The San Antonio Spurs won their fifth straight game to improve to a record of 48-17. The Boston Celtics put up a good fight, however. The game was tied at halftime and, even though Jaylen Brown got ejected in the second quarter, the Celtics kept it close deep into the fourth period. Ultimately, the good guys came up clutch and went on a 12-0 run late to put the game on ice.
Stats: Spurs vs. Celtics
spurs celtics grades
Spurs vs. Celtics – Final Grades
Victor Wembanyama
While it wasn’t the smoothest ride — he got hit in the face early and committed six turnovers — Wembanyama posted another dominant performance. This one was a bit different, though, as the superstar bigman hit eight three-pointers, nine free throws and only three two-pointers on his way to 39 points in 37 minutes. Wembanyama also did well defensively, finishing with 11 rebounds and a pair of blocks. His help-defense was really good and his running of the court hard both ways was a difference-making attribute.
Grade: A-
De’Aaron Fox
Fox is in a really good groove right now. Against the Celtics, he was pristine. In 35 minutes, he had 25 points on 11-for-14 shooting from the field, including 2-for-3 from deep. His playmaking and decision-making were great, finishing with nine assists and only one turnover. Fox’s defense was lacking for a few stretches but overall this was a very good showing for San Antonio’s star point guard.
Grade: A-
Stephon Castle
Castle had an extremely solid all-around affair. He was 3-for-8 from downtown, 3-for-4 inside of the arc and 3-for-4 at the charity stripe. While there were some glaring mistakes here and there, it’s tough to complain when he also totaled nine rebounds and six assists while competing at a high level on the defensive end of the court.
Grade: A-
Devin Vassell
Once again cooking on the offensive end, Vassell posted 14 points on only nine field goal attempts in 32 minutes of action. He also limited his miscues on both ends while making the right passes on offense and the right rotations on defense. All in all, Vassell is playing his role fantastically right now — let’s hope it lasts for a few more months.
Grade: B+
Julian Champagnie
It was a rare off-night for Champagnie. He went scoreless in 27 minutes, missing all four of his three-point attempts. His defense was also a step slow. While he could have been faster to a few loose balls, Champagnie did help out by grabbing five rebounds and finishing without a turnover.
Grade: C-
Dylan Harper
Even though he got outplayed by his brother (Ron Harper Jr. had 22 points for the Celtics), the younger Harper did quite well for San Antonio. He hit a three-pointer and is inching up toward 30% from three-point land. He ended up with nine points in 26 minutes while also adding five assists and four rebounds. Harper’s defense was a plus. I was also impressed by how he kept things team oriented and avoided the temptation to match his brother shot for shot. That’s a showering a lot of maturity for a 20-year-old.
Grade: B+
Keldon Johnson
KJ was doing KJ things. He played with physicality on both sides of the ball. He fought his way into the paint, hit a couple threes and rebounded well. I thought his defense was better than usual and went without a turnover in 24 minutes of action. Johnson’s stats don’t jump off the page but he was the head of the snake for the second unit.
Grade: B+
Carter Bryant
It looked like it could be a huge game for Bryant. He hit his first two attempts from three-point land and the Celtics were still refusing to close out on him. Unfortunately, Carter went cold from deep and he couldn’t continue to make Boston pay. He had a big dunk after that but his defensive play and his rebounding were both lacking. Instead of a huge game, this turned out to be a missed opportunity for Bryant.
Grade: C-
Luke Kornet
Kornet was okay-ish. He was only 1-for-4 from the field and his interior defense left a bit to be desired. His movement was also more labored than usual. But he got enough rebounds and made enough smart passes to aid the cause.
Grade: B-
Mitch Johnson
It was a bit of an odd game with Jaylen Brown getting ejected and Derrick White and Harper Jr. going nuclear — but Coach Mitch guided his squad well. I would have liked fewer minutes for Wembanyama (and perhaps Fox and Castle as well) but the rotation was mostly fine. The gameplans worked to perfection once again to keep the good times rollin’.
Grade: B+