Celtics-Spurs Preview

By JEFF BARTL
Posted Dec 15 2012 12:41AM

The San Antonio Spurs have played exceptionally well at home over the past couple years, and so far this season has been no different.

That home-court edge hasn't fazed Rajon Rondo and the Boston Celtics in recent years, though.

Boston looks to win its sixth straight visit to San Antonio while avoiding a four-game road losing streak Saturday night.

San Antonio is a stellar 71-12 in the regular season at the AT&T Center since the start of the 2010-11 campaign, including a 7-2 mark this season. The Spurs likely will be happy to return there after dropping the final two games of their four-game road trip, which ended with a 98-90 loss to Portland on Thursday after losing on a buzzer-beater to Utah the previous night.

Tony Parker scored 21 points and Tim Duncan added 16 for San Antonio (18-6), which didn't lose three straight regular-season games in 2011-12.

"I don't know if it was fatigue," said Duncan, who was coming off a 22-point, 21-rebound effort against the Jazz. "We just couldn't really ever find our rhythm."

Parker is averaging 23.4 points over his last 12 games, a stretch that began when he scored 26 on 12-of-17 shooting in a 112-100 win at Boston on Nov. 21, trumping Rondo's 22 points and 15 assists.

Parker and Rondo, who is averaging a league-best 12.9 assists, could be in for another battle Saturday.

"Rondo is one of the best in the NBA and every time you play one of the best, you want to be aggressive," Parker said after the last contest. "Rondo had a great game, too, so it was a good battle of point guards."

Rondo scored 22 points and had 14 assists in a 107-97 victory March 31, 2011, in the most recent meeting in San Antonio, where Boston has won all five of his career games.

He's averaging 14.1 points and 13.8 assists - including a 23-assist performance in a win Jan. 5, 2011 - in his last eight overall contests against the Spurs.

Rondo finished with 15 points and 13 assists but committed a season-worst seven turnovers in Friday's 101-89 loss at Houston, the third straight road defeat for the Celtics (12-10).

Paul Pierce scored a team-high 18 points with seven rebounds but went 5 for 18 from the field for Boston, which had won three of its previous four overall.

"We took a step back tonight," Pierce said of the Celtics, who fell behind 17-4 before blowing a seven-point lead later. "We were playing every other quarter. We've got to come out with the right mindset to be consistent."

Boston was outrebounded for the fourth straight game and gave up at least 100 points for the first time in seven non-overtime contests.

"We were trying to create some defensive consistency and we just weren't able to do that," said Kevin Garnett, who had 14 points for his lowest total this month.

The Celtics shot a season-worst 40.0 percent.

"We had some runs, but I never felt like we were going to win the game," coach Doc Rivers said. "I don't know why and I'm disappointed in the loss."

Parker leads Spurs past Celtics

Posted Dec 16 2012 12:35AM

SAN ANTONIO (AP) Tony Parker rose to his feet, pumping his fist in celebration and screaming "Come on!" as he sprinted to the sideline.

The All-Star point guard wanted to encourage his teammates, but his off-balance layup capping a dominant fourth quarter was inspiration enough.

Parker had 22 points and eight assists to help the San Antonio Spurs beat the Boston Celtics 103-88 on Saturday night.

Gary Neal added 20 points and Tiago Splitter finished with 16 points and eight rebounds for San Antonio (19-6), which overcame the loss of Manu Ginobili to improve to 8-2 at home. Danny Green scored 12.

Ginobili departed with a bruised left quad after he ran into Chris Wilcox's knee on a screen with 2:42 left in the first quarter. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said he didn't have an update on the reserve guard after the game.

Spurs star Tim Duncan had a season-low five points, making Parker's effort even more important. Duncan had nine rebounds, but was 2 for 13 from the field.

Parker's layup with 3:35 remaining gave San Antonio a 96-82 lead, leading to his animated celebration and prompting a timeout by Celtics coach Doc Rivers. Both teams pulled their starters a minute later.

"That was an amazing shot," Neal said. "It looked like he lost his balance and he was able to still put the spin on it to get it to go in on that. Tony's a phenomenal player. Through the years I've been here, he's done some phenomenal things."

Paul Pierce and Jason Terry each scored 18 points for Boston (12-11). Kevin Garnett added 13 points and Courtney Lee had 11.

"(Parker) has been in those situations many times," Pierce said. "He understands when to take on the trap. He knows when to get rid of the ball. He has a great in-between game. That is what makes him one of the premiere point guards in the league."

San Antonio went on a 17-8 run after Boston closed to 79-74 on a three-point play by Lee with 9 minutes remaining.

Parker had nine points, one assist, one rebound and a steal during the run.

"Obviously, Tony was unbelievable down the stretch, but a lot of guys like Gary, Danny and Tiago played very solid basketball," Popovich said.

Splitter scored 10 points in the first half, going 4 for 5 from the field. With Duncan struggling, the Spurs needed Splitter's production.

"Tiago came in and played great," said Parker, who had one turnover in 36 minutes. "It's going to be big for us because we can't play Timmy 40 minutes every game. We have to rest him for the playoffs, so if Tiago can give us quality minutes like that, it's definitely going to be helpful."

The Spurs went on an 11-0 run after Jeff Green's layup tied it at 55 in the third. Danny Green hit a pair of 3s and Neal had a 3 and a teardrop jumper during the spurt.

The Spurs were 15 for 20 on free throws compared to just 6 for 8 for the Celtics. The discrepancy didn't go unnoticed.

"They went into the fourth quarter with six fouls total," Rivers said. "That means they are one heck of a defensive basketball team. It is what it is. They shot more free throws and two of our free throws were just technical. It's hard to win games on the road when a team goes to the line like that and we don't go to the line."

NOTES: Boston, which lost 101-89 at Houston on Friday night, will play 21 back-to-back games this season, but none consecutively at home. The Celtics had split their first six back-to-backs this season prior to Saturday's loss against the Spurs. ... San Antonio swingman Stephen Jackson (broken right pinkie) and F Kawhi Leonard (left knee) have both been out a month with injuries. ... San Antonio leads the NBA with 25.3 assists per game, its highest total since averaging 24.9 assists in 1995.

Notebook:Spurs 103, Celtics 88

Andrew McNeill, for NBA.com
Posted Sat Dec 15, 2012 11:46 PM - Updated Sat Dec 15, 2012 11:46 PM

THE FACTS: The San Antonio Spurs used a 13-3 run in the fourth quarter to pull away from the Boston Celtics in a 103-88 win. Tony Parker led the Spurs with 22 points and eight assists, and Gary Neal added 20 points.

The Celtics fell to 12-11 on the season. Paul Pierce and Jason Terry led the Celtics with 18 points apiece. Kevin Garnett added 13 and six rebounds.

QUOTABLE: "Obviously Tony [Parker] was unbelievable down the stretch, but a lot of guys like Gary [Neal], Danny [Green] and Tiago [Splitter] played very solid basketball."
-- Spurs coach Gregg Popovich

THE STAT: The Spurs won despite Tim Duncan scoring just five points on 2-for-13 shooting.

TURNING POINT: Danny Green and Gary Neal combined for 11 straight points over 2:15 in the third quarter to take a tie game to an 11-point Spurs advantage.

QUOTABLE II: "It's hard to win games on the road when a team goes to the line like that and we don't go to the line."
-- Celtics coach Doc Rivers

HOT: The Spurs continued their generous ways this season, dishing 28 assists (on 38 field goals) to only 12 turnovers. San Antonio entered the game leading the NBA in assists with 25.3 per game.

NOT: After shooting 6-for-11 from 3-point range in the first half, the Celtics missed all five of their 3-pointers in the second half.

FANTASY SPOTLIGHT: Parker scored 22 points on 8-for-14 shooting, handed out eight assists and had four steals for the Spurs. Pierce had 18 points, two 3-pointers, five rebounds, four assists and three steals for the Celtics. Duncan grabbed 12 rebounds and blocked two shots for San Antonio.

ROOKIE WATCH: Nando De Colo scored eight points to go with four rebounds and three assists in almost 22 minutes for San Antonio. Jared Sullinger grabbed seven rebounds and scored two points in his 11 minutes of action for the Celtics.

NOTABLE: Spurs guard Manu Ginobili left the game in the third quarter with a left quad contusion after getting hit with an illegal screen by Celtics forward Chris Wilcox. Ginobili did not return to the game.

UP NEXT: For the Celtics, Tuesday @ Chicago, Wednesday vs. Cleveland, Friday vs. Milwaukee. For the Spurs, Monday @ Oklahoma City, Tuesday @ Denver, Friday vs. New Orleans.

• Celtics: Joseph, Melo
• Spurs: Jackson, Leonard

• Celtics: --
• Spurs: --

• Lead Changes: 5
• Times Tied: 4

• Arena: AT&T Center, San Antonio, TX
• Officials: #71 Rodney Mott, #6 Tony Brown, #7 Kevin Fehr
• Attendance: 18759
• Duration: 2:05