BSJ Game Report: Spurs 125, Celtics 116 - Wembanyama dominates three-heavy game

Two of the hottest teams in basketball met up in Texas on Tuesday night. Heading into the game, the Boston Celtics were 14-3 in their last 17, and the San Antonio Spurs were 14-1 in their last 15.

It was slated to be one of the most entertaining games of the season. And it lived up to that billing.

Early on, the Spurs had a leg up. They were making tough threes, and Boston's triples weren't falling. But an early sub from Joe Mazzulla helped change the pace of the game.

Luka Garza came in for Neemias Queta, and he immediately gave the Celtics a different look. Garza's floor spacing helped stretch San Antonio's defense, and Boston did a good job of keeping Victor Wembanyamaas far from the rim as possible.

If he were guarding Garza, he would space up to the wing. If he were guarding Sam Hauser, he would do the same. They wanted Wembanyama out of the corners when possible.

But the real star of the show was Jaylen Brown. He shredded the Spurs' defense, even challenging Wembanyama on a couple of plays. He finished a tough layup over the Frenchman, and later on, nailed a turnaround jumper in his face.

Ron Harper Jr., who enjoyed a family reunion against his brother, Dylan, played an important role off the bench. His 7-foot-1 wingspan made him a menace on defense, and he was giving Boston some buckets, too. Baylor Scheierman and Hugo Gonzalezwere right behind him in terms of bench impact.

Even Derrick Whitewas on fire, leading the Celtics in first-half points with 13, tallying five assists on top of that.

Brown had eight points and seven assists in 14:42 of action, but that's where his night ended.

He and Joe Mazzullahad been jawing with the referees all night, and with 3:38 to go in the half, those arguments came to a head.

Brown fell out of bounds, but he felt he was shoved by Stephon Castle. He immediately began yelling at the officials. One gave him a tech, but he wasn't done talking, and he received a second in quick succession, resulting in his ejection.

The subplot of the evening was Wembanyama's three-point shooting. In an attempt to keep him out of the paint, Boston was allowing the Spurs big man to let it fly from beyond the arc. He took seven in the first half, shooting 3-of-7, and began the second half with two quick makes.

San Antonio got hot from deep range to start the third. Including Wembanyama's two, they made four threes in the first four minutes. But Boston responded.

Jayson Tatum, who was ice-cold in the first half, found a rhythm driving to the hoop. But perhaps even more importantly, White continued his hot streak.

The Celtics guard was grifting for free throws, squeaking layups by Wembanyama, and draining threes over the French superstar, too. With Brown no longer available, White seamlessly stepped into the role of offensive leader.

Without his scoring, the Celtics could have fallen deep into a hole. And it was still a struggle for them to keep up. The Spurs continued raining down threes all throughout the third quarter.

In the third quarter alone, White had 19 points, but the Spurs made eight threes. San Antonio took a 97-90 lead into the final frame.

But Boston wasn't going down without a fight.

Scheierman and Harper were incredible for Boston in the early fourth. Scheierman's fight on the glass outmatched everyone else on the court, and they were both productive from beyond the arc.

And yet, the Spurs still managed to stay a step ahead. Their three-point shot-making was unbelievable, and Wembanyama's scoring dominance continued.

With 6:38 to go, the Celtics had cut San Antonio's lead down to one, but the Spurs responded with a 12-0 run. That was the game.

Well, it almost was.

Harper gave the Celtics one final chance. He got a stop on Wembanyama, nailed a three, and then drew an offensive foul on the Frenchman. Tatum followed it up with another three. But it wasn't enough.

The Spurs responded with two big-time buckets and held the Celtics off just long enough to take home the win.

Big winner: Just one game after Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinsoncalled White a top-five player in the NBA, he played like one.

With Brown out, the Celtics needed a scoring boost more than ever. White was more than happy to oblige.

His shot-making was absolutely incredible, especially in the third quarter. He challenged Wembanyama time and time again, and although the Spurs big man did get him a couple of times, White still found more success than failure.

White ended the night with

Ouch, tough one: Based on the replay, it does appear that Brown was shoved. Castle's hand moved into his back, and he fell out of bounds because of it.

But still, getting ejected in a game like this is tough. He was a massive source of the Celtics' offense in the first half, and they lost him.

Outside of Brown's ejection, Tatum's shot selection was another questionable part of this game. He got up 10 in the first half alone, notching just two makes.

It was a very inefficient night for the Celtics superstar.

The big picture: The Celtics can hang. Some may disagree with Mazzulla's plan to let Wembanyama shoot threes. Others will be upset that Brown got ejected. But no matter the spin, the Celtics were in this game.

San Antonio is one of the best teams in basketball, and Boston hung in there. If this ends up being an NBA Finals preview, then one thing is certain: It would be an incredible series.

There is plenty the Celtics can learn from this game, but they are unequivocally a championship contender.