Possible NBA Finals preview in San Antonio Spurs v Boston Celtics
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Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics driving to the basket around Jaylon Tyson during the 109-98 NBA win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on March 8.
PHOTO: AFP
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SAN ANTONIO – Victor Wembanyama and the surging San Antonio Spurs play host to Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics on March 10 (March 11, Singapore time) in a possible National Basketball Association (NBA) Finals preview.
The Celtics head to the Alamo City on a two-game winning streak, the latest a 109-98 victory at the Cleveland Cavaliers on March 8 in which Brown racked up 23 points.
Tatum also contributed 20 points in just his second game back after tearing his right Achilles in May.
After the game, Tatum said the toughest part of his comeback is that he is on a minutes restriction.
“That sucks, quite frankly,” he said. “But (the Cleveland game) felt a little more normal from a preparation standpoint and mentally. I’m getting back in the flow of things.”
As a whole, the Celtics take pride in playing as a team.
“I think everybody just kind of does what they need to do,” Boston guard Derrick White told Forbes magazine.
“Obviously, JB has been special in the entire year, and kind of carrying us through moments throughout the season.
“Every game it’s just us competing at a high level, playing hard, guarding and going out there and playing Celtics basketball.”
Boston have held opponents to 100 points or fewer 19 times this season, which leads the league, and have allowed 100 points or fewer in six of their past seven wins.
In their last 11 games, the Celtics have won nine times.
After San Antonio, the Celtics will visit the Oklahoma City Thunder on March 12 as they try to jump from second place in the Eastern Conference and surpass the Detroit Pistons.
While Boston have been the talk of the league because of Tatum’s return to an already loaded and streaking team, there has been equal attention – rightly so – on the Spurs and their charge up the West standings as they chase Oklahoma City for the best record in the NBA.
San Antonio have captured four straight games and 15 of their past 16 outings, with the latest statement a 145-120 home win over the Houston Rockets on March 8.
Four Spurs players scored 20 or more points, led by Wembanyama’s 29, as San Antonio produced their most points in a game this season.
“The scoring starts with the defence and the rebounding,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said.
“When you do that with the speed that we can play with and the talent and the dynamic variety that we have with the basketball, it’s really hard to guard.”
San Antonio beat the Celtics 100-95 on Jan 10 in Boston in the first meeting of the year between the teams.
Meanwhile, on March 9, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander equalled Wilt Chamberlain’s 63-year-old 20-point scoring record as the Thunder defeated the Denver Nuggets 129-126 in a pulsating clash of the Western Conference titans.
He finished with 35 points, 15 assists and nine rebounds to pull level with Chamberlain’s longstanding mark of scoring 20 points or more in 126 consecutive games between 1961 and 1963.
In another game, James Harden scored 21 points to lift the Cavaliers to a 115-101 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers.
He reached the 29,000-career point milestone in the first quarter and finished the game with 29,017 points, good for ninth place on the all-time scoring list. Chamberlain is eighth with 31,419 points. REUTERS
