Celtics Narrowly Beaten By Spurs
SAN ANTONIO -- Boston guard Avery Bradley missed a potential game-winning 3-point shot with eight seconds remaining and San Antonio Spurs escaped with a 108-105 victory over the Celtics on Saturday night after losing most of a 17-point lead.
Bradley's shot would have given Boston a one-point lead. Instead, the Celtics fouled on the rebound and Spurs guard Danny Green made two free throws, stretching the lead to four.
Jae Crowder made a 3-pointer for Boston with 2.7 seconds left and Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard scored the final two points on two free throws with two seconds left.
Forward LaMarcus Aldridge scored 17 points to lead the Spurs, who have an 11-0 record at home this season. San Antonio (17-4) has won nine straight against Boston (11-9). Forward Boris Diaw added 16 points, one more than Leonard.
Guard Isaiah Thomas led Boston with 23 points, including 10 in the fourth quarter. Bradley scored 18 points and guard Evan Turner had 16.
San Antonio led by 17 late in the third quarter, but Boston staged a rally in the fourth that began with two 3-point baskets by rookie guard R.J. Hunter. Boston made 12 treys in the game -- six in the fourth quarter -- the most against the Spurs this season.
San Antonio trailed by 10 in the first quarter but led by nine at the half, the advancement largely because of reserve forwards Diaw and David West.
Diaw scored 12 points in 13 minutes during the half. West scored eight points in five minutes, supplying five rebounds as well during that short stint.
Not that the starters failed to contribute. Aldridge scored 14 points in the half, including eight straight Spurs points late in the second quarter.
Boston established its early edge by riding Bradley's jump shot. Bradley, who established himself in the NBA as a clinging defender, converted 5 of 6 shots from the field in the first quarter, all from the perimeter, including both of his 3-point attempts. He finished the quarter with 12 points but missed his only shot in the second quarter.
San Antonio stretched its lead to 15 after three quarters, and the bench was again instrumental. During the final four minutes, guards Patty Mills and Mani Ginobili made two baskets apiece and West added one. The Celtics did not help themselves by missing five free throws during that stretch.
NOTES: The combined 153 points that Milwaukee and Memphis scored against San Antonio the previous two games are the fewest allowed by the Spurs in consecutive games since February 2009. ... Boston G Marcus Smart is at least few weeks from returning from a lower left leg injury. Smart, a starter, banged knees with Brooklyn F Thomas Robinson on Nov. 20. He has missed eight straight games. ... Celtics G Avery Bradley began the night shooting 42.9 percent on 3-pointers, his best mark of his six seasons in the NBA. He exceeded 40 percent one other time, in 2011-12, but had only 54 attempts all season. He had 98 attempts this season before Saturday. ... Spurs F Tim Duncan was named ESPN Stats & Info defensive player of the month for November. ESPN cited analytics based on impact a player has per 100 possessions.
