The Boston Celtics host the San Antonio Spurs at TD Garden on Saturday, Jan. 10 at 8:00 PM ET.
The Celtics enter at 24-13, sitting 2nd in the East, while the Spurs come in at 26-11, sitting 2nd in the West.
The Celtics last played Friday and beat the Raptors 125-117, with Jaylen Brown and Payton Pritchard driving the offense.
The Spurs last played on Wednesday and handled the Lakers 107-91.
This is the first meeting between these teams this season, and they’ll see each other again on March 10.
For the Celtics, Jaylen Brown is having a monster year at 29.6 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game, while Derrick White has put up 18.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 5.3 assists.
For the Spurs, Victor Wembanyama is at 24.2 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 2.9 blocks, and De’Aaron Fox has posted 21.0 points and 5.9 assists per game.
Injury Report
Celtics
Jayson Tatum: Out (right Achilles repair)
Josh Minott: Out (left ankle sprain)
Spurs
Devin Vassell: Out (left adductor strain)
Julian Champagnie: Questionable (mid back soreness)
Carter Bryant: Available
Why The Celtics Have The Advantage
This is still a nasty matchup because the Celtics can win the math game. They’re scoring 117.8 points per game and hitting 47.5% from the field with 37.1% from three, which means you can’t cheat off anyone for long.
The other side of it is defense. The Celtics are allowing 110.7 points per game, and they hold opponents to 45.1% shooting. They make teams work for clean looks, and that matters a lot against a Spurs group that wants you to panic when Wembanyama rolls.
The swing stat for me is turnovers. The Celtics only cough it up 11.9 times per game, and that’s huge against a Spurs team that can get out and run when Fox gets live-ball steals and Wembanyama erases your first shot. If the Celtics stay organized and keep the game in the halfcourt, they can grind out efficient possessions all night.
Why The Spurs Have The Advantage
The Spurs bring pressure in a different way. They’re putting up 119.0 points per game with 47.7% shooting, and they rebound at a high level too at 46.6 boards per game. That’s a lot of second chances if the Celtics get a little small.
The ball movement is real. The Spurs average 25.9 assists per game, and that’s usually a sign the offense doesn’t die when the first option gets walled off. Fox can get downhill, kickouts are there, and Wembanyama forces rotations even when he doesn’t touch it.
And yeah, the obvious one: rim control. Wembanyama’s 2.9 blocks per game isn’t just a number, it changes how guards finish and how shooters decide to drive. If the Spurs win the paint, the Celtics’ “pretty” offense can get real jump-shot heavy fast.
X-Factors
Payton Pritchard is the Celtics’ chaos button right now. He’s at 17.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game, and his ability to play fast without turning it over is the cleanest way to punish Spurs lineups that overhelp on Brown. If Pritchard wins his minutes, the Celtics can survive the stretches where Brown sits.
Sam Hauser is the spacing swing. He’s only at 7.8 points per game, but the whole point is what his gravity does to the floor. If he hits early, the Spurs can’t load bodies into the lane, and that gives Brown cleaner driving angles instead of seeing a 7-foot-4 shadow on every turn.
Neemias Queta matters because somebody has to take contact and still finish possessions. He’s at 10.0 points and 8.1 rebounds per game, and if he can keep the Celtics even on the glass while avoiding foul trouble, it lets everyone else stay home on shooters instead of collapsing.
For the Spurs, Keldon Johnson is that “third scorer” who can wreck a game. He’s at 13.5 points and 6.4 rebounds per game, and he plays like he’s trying to bully the scoreboard. If he wins the bench battle, the Spurs’ offense stays loud even when the starters rotate.
Luke Kornet is sneaky important too, and yes it’s weird saying that. He’s averaging 8.4 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks, and his minutes can be a cheat code if the Celtics go small and the Spurs just keep tossing it over the top.
And keep an eye on Julian Champagnie if he goes. He’s at 11.1 points and 5.9 rebounds per game, and the Spurs need his size on the wing to soak up Celtics shooting actions. If he’s limited or out, the Spurs lose a connector who keeps their lineups balanced.
Prediction
I’m taking the Spurs. Wembanyama gives them the one thing that can travel anywhere, rim protection that also turns into offense. If the Spurs keep the Celtics off the line and win the glass, they’ll steal this one.
Prediction: Spurs 116, Celtics 112
