Basketball: Tatum scores 34 as Celtics hold off Spurs

Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum dunks during the second half against the San Antonio Spurs at AT&T Centre. PHOTO: REUTERS

SAN ANTONIO – Boston Celtics interim coach Joe Mazzulla enjoyed the “back and forth” nature of his side’s 121-116 National Basketball Association (NBA) victory over the tenacious San Antonio Spurs on Saturday, simply because it meant there was still room for improvement.

Jayson Tatum scored 34 points, including a go-ahead basket with 33.7 seconds remaining, as the Celtics escaped San Antonio with a win to improve to 28-12 and remain top of the Eastern Conference with the league’s best record.

While Boston followed up their dominant victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday, the Mavs bounced back with a 127-117 win against the New Orleans Pelicans with the help of a triple-double from Luka Doncic.

The Celtics finished up a 2-2 road trip – but it looked harder than it needed to be against a rebuilding San Antonio squad.

“There’s obviously a lot of stuff tactically we can work on,” said Mazzulla, who insisted he was happy to see his team work through adversity to get the win.

“We needed a game like this, where it’s back and forth, things aren’t going our way, they are going our way – you don’t get a lot of those.

“It’s easier to say that because we won. But I’m happy the game went the way it did because we got to execute some stuff.”

Jaylen Brown added 29 points, and Malcom Brogdon scored 23 off the bench for the Celtics, who led by 11 midway through the fourth quarter.

The scrappy Spurs – who had 18 points apiece from Zach Collins, Tre Jones and Josh Richardson – tied it up at 116-116 on Richardson’s three-pointer with 37.4 seconds remaining.

Tatum’s step-back basket – off a pass from former Spur Derrick White – restored Boston’s lead, and three Celtics free throws sealed it.

“Great game, couldn’t be more proud of them,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said on ESPN.

“Jayson did it at the end of the game, (he) got us. But taking care of the ball, rebounding, playing with effort, I couldn’t be more proud of our guys.

“A great game for them to be participating in and to play the way they did. Lots of great contributions from everybody on the court and over time, we will get everybody back.”

Boston had opened their four-game road-trip with defeats at Denver and Oklahoma City before routing the Mavericks in Dallas on Thursday on the back of Tatum’s second career triple-double.

In Dallas, Doncic rebounded from his seven-for-23 shooting performance against Boston with 34 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists against New Orleans.

The Slovenian star notched his 55th career triple-double and his ninth this season, one behind the league-leading 10 of Denver’s Nikola Jokic. AFP

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