On Saturday, 3/29, the San Antonio Spurs (31-41) will host the Boston Celtics (54-19) in an inter-conference Regular-Season match-up. The Spurs are tottering at the 13th spot in the West, whereas the Celtics have practically sealed the second spot in the East. Can the Spurs put up a strong challenge against the ruthless Celts? Read through the preview, total predictions, and player props here.
Spurs: Severely undermanned but fighting hard
The San Antonio Spurs will come into this game after an 8-point loss against the Cleveland Cavaliers despite a 22-point, 11-rebound, and 8-assist performance by Rookie of the Year Frontrunner Stephon Castle. After an unprecedented three-game winning streak, it was their second loss in a row. Their defense has been in tatters since Victor Wembanyama was ruled out for the season, but their offense has done better than expected.
The backcourt of Castle and Devin Vassell has aided the scoring supply brilliantly but the team’s Wing positions have been inconsistent. The inconsistency can be pinned to the underwhelming play of Keldon Johnson, Harrison Barnes, and Jeremy Sochan. The team acquired De’Aaron Fox in the midseason to bolster their scoring but he was unable to fit in the team before a season-ending injury.
Expected Starting Lineup
PG: Chris Paul | PG/SG: Stephon Castle | SG/SF: Devin Vassell | SF/PF: Harrison Barnes | C: Bismack Biyombo
Key Injuries/Updates: Victor Wembanyama and De’Aaron Fox are OUT for the season.
Celtics: They are back to their title-winning ways
The Boston Celtics march into this affair after a 30-point blowout win against the Phoenix Suns as Kristaps Porzingis erupted for a 30-point night. It was a terrific victory away from home without their ace Jayson Tatum, speaking volumes about their depth. The Celts have won seven in a row, with their last four wins with a margin of 12+ points. They have been 21-4 since late January, reminiscent of their 2023-24 championship-winning campaign.
They lead the league with 17.9 three-pointers per game(1st), making 18.2 3-PM(1st) on an excellent 37.5% clip with March. Meanwhile, the team has also done brilliantly on defense, conceding just 107.7 points per game(3rd) in March. The squad is catching fire at the right time, which is scary for the rest of the league.
Expected Starting Lineup
PG: Jrue Holiday | SG: Derrick White | SG/SF: Jaylen Brown | SF/PF: Jayson Tatum | C: Kristaps Porzingis
Key Injuries/Updates: Jayson Tatum’s status is UNCLEAR.
The Spurs have given up 120 or more in four of the last six games; meanwhile, their offense has clicked for 116 or more in four of the last five games. On the other hand, the Celtics’ defense has been terrific, often restricting teams around 100. They score in variations and have the firepower to stack up 120+ on many nights. I believe The Green Machine will repeat these heroics here and restrict the home team to below 107.
Stephon Castle to be limited under 16.5 points: The Spurs guard has tallied 20.1 points per game in March, about 6 points over his season average. But I believe the Celts’ defense will shut him down below 15 points.
Keldon Johnson to score over 15.5 points: The Spurs forward has put up 13.8 PPG in March, pretty much in the same area as his season average. I expect him to be in the 16-18 range here after a 17-point performance in the last game.
Kristaps Porzingis to score over 27.5 points: The Celtics’ big man has accumulated 24.4 PPG in March (5 games). He has scored 24 or more in four of the last five games, and I believe he will be in the 28-31 range here.
Payton Pritchard to score over 16.5 points: The Celtics guard has averaged 15.2 PPG in March, but his scoring trajectory is up-and-down. In the last game, he scored 7, whereas he had 22 in the preceding game, indicating a constant pattern. I expect the pattern to repeat with him being in the 17-21 range.
The Spurs are a resilient team, but their lack of depth shows against elite squads. Meanwhile, the Celtics are a top-notch squad against every type of team and will enter as overwhelming favorites here. I’d select them to win big here. They can emerge victorious by at least 15 points.
Safe Spread Pick: Celtics -13.5 for +105 at BetMGM
Photo Credit: Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images
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