Luke Kornet’s dominant game leads Celtics to 121-111 win over Spurs

After destroying the Phoenix Suns of their final matchup, the Celtics continued their west coast highway journey in opposition to the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday. Boston continued their spectacular play on the highway this season, defeating the Spurs 121-111 for his or her eighth win a row.

Jayson Tatum led the way in which for the Celtics on this recreation with 28 factors, 10 rebounds, and eight assists on 10-22 capturing however this recreation was dominated by Luke Kornet. Kornet had a double-double tonight with 15 factors and a profession excessive 16 rebounds as with the Spurs lack of a middle, he was in a position to dominate the sport. Boston as a complete crushed the rounding battle as they out rebounded San Antonio 54-35 which was an enormous purpose for his or her success.

Kristaps Porzingis started the sport with a 3 for the Celtics as he obtained off to considered one of his patented sizzling begins. With the Spurs not having Victor Wembanyama, they lacked a real heart to cease Boston from attending to the paint at will. The Celtics opened up a 10-1 run midway via the primary quarter however the Spurs had been in a position to maintain tempo with Boston early on.

Out of a Spurs timeout, the Celtics would open up a fast 12-4 run. Jrue Vacation was key to Boston’s offense success hitting 3 photographs from past the arc however it was Keldon Johnson that saved San Antonio within the recreation. After Sam Hauser hit a 3 on his first shot of the sport, the Celtics would finish the primary quarter with a 36-27 lead.

Boston had an incredible capturing first quarter going 48% from the sphere and 47% from three whereas additionally dominating the boards with 16 rebounds and selecting aside the Spurs protection with 10 assists.

The second quarter began with an enormous to large alley oop from Kristaps Porzingis to Luke Kornet whereas a Sam Hauser midrange pull up pressured the Spurs to name a timeout only a minute into the quarter.

An attention-grabbing be aware to begin the quarter was that each Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum began on the bench. The lineup of White-Hauser-Scheierman-Kornet-Porzingis discovered success and saved the Celtics lead at double digits. When the starters got here again in nonetheless, Boston began to look just a little a sloppy with numerous careless turnovers. In response, Jeremy Sochan led the Spurs on a 14-2 to chop the Celtics lead 4 factors with 4 minutes to go within the first half.

Jrue Vacation responded to the run along with his fourth three of the half to regular the ship because the Celtics discovered their groove once more on offense and took a 64-52 lead into halftime. Vacation had an enormous half and was the Celtics main scorer on the half with 16 factors on 6-9 capturing from the sphere and 4-5 from three.

Jayson Tatum had an enormous half as nicely with 12 factors, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists whereas Stephon Fortress led the Spurs with 13 factors. The Celtics three level capturing dipped just a little bit within the second quarter however they nonetheless shot nicely general going 52% from the sphere. Boston continued to dominate the glass as they grabbed 32 rebounds in comparison with the Spurs 18.

It took the Celtics just a little over three minutes to attain their first basket of the second half on a Luke Kornet ally-oop dunk from a Jayson Tatum help however the Spurs couldn’t make the most of Boston’s chilly capturing. As soon as they noticed a shot go in, the Celtics discovered their offense led by Kornet persevering with to punish the Spurs inside with a put again layup and one other ally-oop dunk.

After one other Spurs timeout, Jrue Vacation picked up the place he left off within the first half, hitting his fifth three and accomplished an alley-oop layup from Derrick White. A ten-3 run by the Celtics opened up a 17 level lead as San Antonio began to get slowed down by Boston’s protection.

After a sluggish begin, Jayson Tatum began to cook dinner in the direction of the tip of the tip of the third quarter as he obtained to the free throw line and hit a nasty euro step across the Spurs Blake Wesley with Spurs legend Manu Ginobili in attendence. This Tatum takeover gave the Celtics a 94-81 lead going into the fourth quarter.

The fourth quarter started with Jaylen Brown hitting again to again powerful twos together with a financial institution shot however the Spurs had a response on the opposite finish for every. An absence of transition protection on the second Spurs basket lower the Celtics result in 10 and made Joe Mazzulla name a timeout very early in to the quarter.

After a chilly stretch for the Celtics, Luke Kornet grabbed his profession excessive 14th rebound to and hit a layup that reignited the offense once more. The Spurs began to make a rally halfway via the quarter behind Chris Paul turning again the clock and scoring 8 straight factors for San Antonio to chop Boston’s result in 8 factors with beneath 5 minutes to go.

Though the Spurs began to hit photographs, they couldn’t lower Boston’s lead any additional because the Celtics matched them basket for basket. With 1:07 to go within the recreation anf the Celtics up by 10, Kristaps Porzingis missed a 3 that led to a troublesome Jayson Tatum rebound and putback layup for the dagger that sealed the Celtics victory.

The Celtics subsequent matchup and the final recreation of their west coast highway journey is on Monday March thirty first in opposition to the Memphis Grizzlies.