The Boston Celtics will travel to the AT&T Center to take on the San Antonio Spurs. Action begins at 8:30 pm ET on Friday, Mar. 20 and can be seen on CSN-NE and FSN-SW.
The Spurs played well in their last game, topping the Bucks 114-103 on Wednesday. Boris Diaw was a key piece with 18 points, six rebounds, and five assists. The Celtics, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after the 122-118 loss against the Thunder on Wednesday. Marcus Smart led the team in scoring with 25 points.
Over the last five games, a number of players have been better than usual for the Spurs. Tim Duncan has led the way, averaging 15.2 points, 8.6 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 0.6 steals, and 2.4 blocks. Tony Parker (20.2 PTS, 3.0 REB, 6.2 AST, and 0.8 STL) and Kawhi Leonard (18.0 PTS, 6.6 REB, 2.4 AST, 3.2 STL, 1.2 BLK, and 1.2 3PM) have also played at a high level.
This is the second game of the year between these two teams, with the Spurs winning the first matchup 111-89. In the victory, Danny Green led all scorers with 18 points.
The odds for San Antonio and Boston are even, while the Over/Under (O/U) is currently unavailable. The Spurs come into this game 42-25 Straight Up (SU) and 30-35-2 Against The Spread (ATS). Over their last 10 games, they have had success covering the spread (7-3). The Spurs have no trouble scoring as they rank second in the league in home offense with 106.9 points per game.
In the other locker room, the Celtics have 30-37 SU and 40-27 ATS records. Boston performed well ATS during its last 10 games, earning a 7-3 record.
With the Spurs’ last win against Boston, their SU record is now 7-3 over the Celtics in the last 10 games. The Spurs also lead the matchup ATS with a record of 6-3-1. San Antonio held the edge in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers four times, while Boston was never able to do so in their most recent 10 games.
Predictions: SU Winner – SA, ATS Winner – SA
Notes
Boston ranks 13th in points per game with 101.0, while San Antonio ranks 10th in points allowed with an average of 98.0 given up.
Boston scores an average of 100.3 points per away game (ranked 12th). San Antonio ranks 20th in points allowed per home game with 99.8.
Boston has a tremendous 24-5 record when it allows under 100 points this season. San Antonio is 13-17 when it puts up under 100.
When allowing 100 or more points in a game, the Celtics are just 6-32 this season. San Antonio is a fantastic 29-8 when registering triple digits.
The Celtics have an offensive rating of 101.3 (ranked 20th), while the Spurs rank eighth for their defensive rating of 100.3.
The San Antonio Spurs have one of the best field goal percentages this season, ranking sixth in the league with a FG% of 46.0%. When their opponents record a similar or higher FG%, the Boston Celtics have an abysmal 4-26 record.
On average, the San Antonio Spurs attempt 22.7 three point field goals per game and the Boston Celtics attempt 24.6 per game. In games where they attempt at least 25 threes, San Antonio has a winning 14-9 record, while Boston is 14-16.
San Antonio has an assist to turnover ratio of 1.80 this season (ranked seventh). Boston ranks higher with an A/TO of 1.82 (ranked sixth).
The San Antonio Spurs rebound 43.4 times per game and are ranked 16th. Ranked 14th, the Boston Celtics rebound 43.8 times per game.
San Antonio is ranked eighth in defensive rebounds, while Boston ranks 11th in offensive rebounds.
San Antonio has forced an average turnover percentage of 13.7% this season. Boston has a poor 12-21 record when its TOV% is 13.7% or higher.
