Grades: San Antonio Spurs at Boston Celtics – Game #53
Julian Champagnie and the Spurs fell to the Celtics (Photo via X)
The San Antonio Spurs had a difficult stop on the Rodeo Road Trip against the Boston Celtics. In the final game before the All-Star break, the Spurs ended up losing by a final score of 116-103 to fall to a record of 23-29 on the season.
Halfway through the first quarter, Julian Champagnie hit a three-pointer to bring San Antonio to within a point, 16-15. Sadly, the Celtics responded with a 15-2 run to grab control of the contest. From then on, the Spurs had a couple modest runs but Boston was able to cruise to victory to improve to 39-16.
Stats: Spurs at Celtics
Spurs at Celtics – Final Grades
Victor Wembanyama
The good: Wembanyama was 6-for-10 from two-point range and also passed the ball well while limiting turnovers. His rebounding was very solid, particularly on the defensive end. The bad: Wembanyama was 1-for-6 from three-point land and only got to the free throw line twice. His defense was a step slower than usual. Overall: Wembanyama had his moments but this was clearly a sub par game by his standards.
Grade: C
De’Aaron Fox
Fox did his part. He led the way with 23 points and did it by hitting 10-of-16 shots from the field. His defense was adequate and he made more than his share of heady passes. Fox could have taken better care of the ball but otherwise it’s difficult to nitpick his outing.
Grade: B+
Devin Vassell
Vassell becoming the third banana didn’t look smooth against the Celtics. He was 0-for-4 from deep, forced shots inside of the arc and his decision-making was very iffy. Vassell also didn’t do much of note on the defensive end. He needs to play better than this — that’s the bottom line with his play right now.
Grade: D+
Chris Paul
The good: Paul had eight assists and no turnovers in his 28 minutes of action. He also swiped four steals without committing a foul. The bad: Paul was 2-for-8 from the field, including 1-for-5 from three-point territory. That inefficient scoring really hurt the team. His inability to contest three-point shots also hurt the team on the other end.
Grade: C
Harrison Barnes
Sometimes Barnes is too passive. That wasn’t the issue in Boston. He tried to carry the Spurs at times — but he ended up hurting as much as helping. Barnes shot poorly from the field but his effort did open a few avenues for teammates. His rebounding energy was a positive, although his defensive play didn’t move the needle.
Grade: C+
Stephon Castle
Castle came off the bench and poured in 20 points in only 24 minutes. While he was a bit too aggressive at times offensively, I can’t complain too much. When others were going through the motion, the rookie was actively trying to lead his squad to victory. Castle is in a very good rhythm right now. He’s breaking down defenses, passing well, attacking with purpose and shooting better from the perimeter. The rookie can obviously work on his efficiency but, big picture, he’s doing great.
Grade: B+
Julian Champagnie
Champagnie made the most of his touches on offense and was active on defense. He got some extra minutes in Boston — and he deserved it.
Grade: B
Keldon Johnson
Johnson’s decision-making was better than usual on offense. He struggled on defense, though. At times Johnson tried to carry the bench unit but his attempts ended up being futile.
Grade: C+
Jeremy Sochan
Sochan played with electricity during his 13 minutes but ended up just getting in the way more often than not. His transition to the bench is still a work in progress — and this game was evidence of just that.
Grade: C+
Mitch Johnson
Tough to find many positives for Johnson. His usage of the bench ended up hindering the cause. Castle needed to play more. Wembanyama needed higher quality touches. Johnson also count have reacted to runs quicker.
Grade: D+