The Boston Celtics face the San Antonio Spurs tonight at the TD Garden, and the team will be hoping they can finish the second night of a back-to-back with some much-needed success.
After being up as many as 18 during last nights loss to the Charlotte Hornets, the Boston Celtics will be hoping to cut all ties with their unwanted losing streak which now stands at three.
If they are to stop the slide, then they find themselves with the perfect opportunity to do so, as the Spurs are battling with their own dip in form. San Antonio started the week occupying the fifth seed in the Western Conference, however after three straight defeats to the Golden State Warriors, Miami Heat, and Houston Rockets, they have fallen to the eighth seed and are fighting for their playoff lives.
Although they may be experiencing a wobble, prior to the two recent losses the Spurs had previously won nine in a row so they will still prove a tough customer for the Celtics.
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The Celtics will once again be without Al Horford (left knee soreness) for tonight’s game and he is joined by Robert Williams (lower back contusion) who is also listed as out after he was hurt during last night’s loss to the Hornets. Gordon Hayward (NBA Concussion Protocol) and Aron Baynes (left ankle sprain) are both listed as questionable, while Jayson Tatum (right lower back contusion) is listed as doubtful.
This will be the second and final meeting between the two teams on the year, and the Celtics will be hoping they can avoid the season sweep after the Spurs took the first game 120-111 back in December. That night Boston allowed San Antonio to put up a huge third quarter which saw them put 46 points on the board. It was the first time they put up 46 or more in a quarter since 1993. Jaylen Brown led the C’s in scoring with a season-high 30 points, while Marcus Morris (18), Jayson Tatum (12), and Kyrie Irving (16) all scored in double digits but ultimately it wasn’t enough.
With just eight games to go after tonight’s game, the playoffs are within touching distance and with a win, the Celtics can guarantee a playoff berth and also cut the Indiana Pacers’ hold on the third seed to just half a game. Pacers are also in action tonight as they host the Denver Nuggets, so should they lose their game and things go the Celtics way vs the Spurs then we could see both teams have identical records. Boston plays the Pacers twice before the season is out.
Win Probability
The Celtics have a 76% chance of winning tonight’s game against the Spurs, according to FiveThirtyEight.com.
Predicted Starters
Celtics: Kyrie Irving, Marcus Smart, Jayson Tatum, Marcus Morris, Daniel Theis.
San Antonio: Derrick White, Bryn Forbes, DeMar DeRozan, LaMarcus Aldridge, Jakob Poeltl.
Injury Reports
Celtics: Aron Baynes (left ankle sprain) – Questionable, Gordon Hayward (NBA Concussion Protocol) – Questionable, Jayson Tatum (Lower Back Contusion) – Doubtful, Al Horford (left knee soreness) – OUT, Robert Williams (low back contusion) – OUT.
San Antonio: Dejounte Murray (Right ACL Tear) – OUT.
Ways to Watch/Listen
TV: NBC Sports Boston
Radio: 98.5 The Sports Hub (FM)
Tip-Off: 7:30pm