Jayson Tatum delivered another strong performance as the Boston Celtics secured their eighth straight victory, defeating the San Antonio Spurs 121-111 on Saturday night.
Tatum finished with 29 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists, leading Boston (55-19) to a win that improved its league-best road record to 31-7.
Jrue Holiday contributed 21 points, six rebounds, and six assists, while Luke Kornet added 15 points and 16 rebounds in an impressive effort off the bench.
Seven of the eight Celtics who saw action reached double figures in scoring as Boston built an early lead and never trailed after the first quarter.
San Antonio (31-42) lost its third straight game despite a 23-point effort from Keldon Johnson and 22 points from Stephon Castle.
The Spurs, playing without Victor Wembanyama and De’Aaron Fox, struggled to keep up with Boston’s perimeter shooting and rebounding advantage.
The Celtics started hot from deep, hitting eight of their 17 three-point attempts in the first quarter to take a 36-27 lead.
San Antonio attempted to respond with its own outside shooting but managed just 4-of-13 from beyond the arc in the opening period.
The Spurs kept the game competitive, cutting the deficit to seven in the third quarter before the Celtics regained control with another scoring run.
Kornet dominated the glass against San Antonio’s undersized frontcourt, securing seven offensive rebounds and limiting second-chance opportunities for the Spurs.
Kristaps Porzingis contributed 11 points and eight rebounds but faced foul trouble, limiting his time on the court.
Derrick White added 13 points, eight rebounds, and six assists, providing steady play on both ends of the floor.
Castle led the Spurs in assists with eight but struggled from deep, making just one of his seven three-point attempts.
Jeremy Sochan scored 18 points and grabbed eight rebounds, while Devin Vassell added 14 points in a losing effort.
Chris Paul, who finished with 12 points and five assists, was assessed a technical foul in the fourth quarter as frustrations mounted for San Antonio.
Boston’s defense forced key stops down the stretch, holding the Spurs to 43.7% shooting from the field and limiting their transition opportunities.
The Celtics capitalized on their ball movement, assisting on 32 of their 45 made field goals while keeping turnovers low.
