Celtics-Spurs Player Grades: Too much Victor Wembanyama, Not Enough Jaylen Brown

The Celtics and Spurs have now played two very close, tightly-matched games. Unfortunately for Boston, the Spurs have pulled away each time, and each time Jaylen Brown has had a problem with the officiating. His ejection hurt, so did Victor Wembanyama’s three-point shooting. Spurs win 125-116

Box Score

Game Flow

Brown had his whole game working to start, and Derrick White was cashing in catch-and-shoot threes as Boston took an early punch from the Spurs and answered. The Celtics led by as many as seven, but the Spurs had an answer of their own with Wembanyama on the bench, cutting Boston’s lead to 31-29 heading into the second quarter.

Brown carried his dominance into the second quarter, but he was ejected for arguing a missed call. Wembanyama put up 12 points to keep the Spurs close and send them into the half tied despite Boston holding a seven-point lead in the second.

Derrick White put up 19 in the fourth quarter as the Celtics kept the game close by attacking Wembanyama, but Wembanyama scored 14 of his own and got a lot more out everyone else to win the quarter by seven. Tatum scored seven straight in the fourth quarter to cut the lead to three. But Wembanyama was just too much, especially from deep, for the Celtics to overcome.

Here are three reasons why they lost.

Victor Wembanyama was unconscious from deep

If the Spurs beat you with Wembanyama going nuts from three, then you tip your cap and move on. There are a couple that you’d like to avoid, like letting him step into a couple in-rhythm with no contest, but there were some that they were willing to live with. He’s a 35% three-point shooter, but he went 8-15 in this game.

I really think the Celtics defensive plan was pretty good. It’s possible that Brown staying in the game could have changed some of the shots he got, but it is what it is. Wembanyama finished with 39 points, 24 of them came in the second half.

The Celtics didn’t get much from the supporting cast in the second half

Ron Harper Jr. was great, but he was the only non-Tatum, non-Derrick White, scorer. Everyone else combined for nine points in the second half.

This is where not only losing Brown hurt, not having Payton Pritchard to break down the defense also made things tough.

Jaylen Brown got tossed (and Jayson Tatum is on a minutes restriction)

He definitely pushed the limits of what was acceptable, and if crew Chief Tyler Ford was the one who tossed him, then the conversation might be a little different. That it was the Umpire who stepped in is where everyone has the problem. The crew chief was in direct confrontation with Brown and not throwing him out … at least not yet.

And from Brown’s perspective, I’m sure he’s seen guys get a lot of leeway after getting their first tech BECAUSE refs don’t want to throw stars out of nationally televised games. Call it the Draymond Green corollary. To get thrown out in that spot by the third official is a bit much.

Usually, the Celtics would just lean on Jayson Tatum to handle the job, but he had to sub out early in the fourth quarter with 21 minutes played so he could come back in to close the game out without going over his minutes restriction. That kicker there, is that Tatum had just been going off.

This was a tough call for Mazzulla. Keep Tatum in and hope he could help build a lead, and then let someone else finish the job? Or sit him and hope he could come back and stay hot for the final six minutes.

Player Grades

Jaylen Brown: Incomplete (8 points, 7 assists, 2 rebounds, 1 steal)

He was putting on a clinic. I cannot stress enough how incredibly he was playing. This was going to be a Hall of Fame highlight reel kind of game. It’s the game you’d show people to make his case for MVP. It’s ridiculous that he was thrown out of this game.

Jayson Tatum: B+ (24 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals)

The efficiency is still not there. He shot 10-24 overall and 4-14 from three. It’s a shame he had to sit after his hot start to the fourth quarter.

Derrick White: A (34 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds, 1 block)

Maybe his best offensive game of the season, especially getting to the line 11 times. He got going early on by getting the catch-and-shoot opportunities that we’ve been waiting for with Tatum’s return. Once those start to fall, the rest of the offense falls in line.

Ron Harper Jr: A (22 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists)

Maybe it was going up against his little brother and his mother being in the crowd, but this was the type of performance that was both great to see and a shame to waste.

Neemias Queta: C- (5 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist)

Joe Mazzulla made a smart move by going with Luka Garza to matchup with Wembanyama and spread the floor. This is a tough matchup for Queta, and a reason why the Nikola Vučević acquisition is so important. Having him in this game would have been a massive help.

Luka Garza: B- (3 points, 1 assist, 1 steal)

He only hit one shot, but he was setting good screens and he forced the Spurs to react to his spacing.

Everyone else: C

Sam Hauser had his moments early and was 3-8 from 3. He also had seven rebounds, which was solid. He was the only other guy in double figures.