BOSTON – When Luke Kornet stepped in to take the opening tip against Victor Wembanyama Wednesday night, you could tell he was locked in and ready to make an impact right away.
The veteran center was quick to rise against San Antonio’s 7-foot-4 rookie phenom and slapped the ball back to Boston’s backcourt, setting the Celtics up with the first possession of the game and marking a sign of good things to come both for himself and the team.
Kornet was one of several role players who stepped up for the Celtics in their 117-98 win over the Spurs, which came despite the absences of Kristaps Porzingis and Derrick White from the starting lineup.
Earning his second spot start of the season alongside Al Horford, Kornet logged six points, nine rebounds, four assists, three blocks, and a steal in just over 30 minutes of action.
“Luke was great,” said head coach Joe Mazzulla. “I think he's another guy where he's just getting better and better. I think over the last three years, he's probably one of our best overall defenders — his ability to communicate, change matchups, guard different guys, guard different actions. The him and Al minutes are great because those guys defend at a high, high level, and they protect the rim. We got off to a good start because of that double-big lineup.”
The fact that it came against one of the most impressive young players in the league made it even more special. Wembanyama, who has been an absolute force through the first half of his rookie year, finished with 27 points, five rebounds, one assist, one block, and five turnovers. Not bad, considering the C’s were without their most imposing rim protector.
One number which stood out was in the stock department (steals plus blocks). Wemby leads the league in that category with 4.32 stocks per game (well ahead of Anthony Davis’ second-place mark of 3.75); however, on this night, Kornet out-stocked him 4-1.
Jaylen Brown was impressed with Kornet’s impact, noting, “To get put in that position tonight against someone who is a freak of nature, I thought he did a pretty decent job of just being big, having his hands in there, and just executing our details on defense.”
Neemias Queta also performed well in the center spot, tallying six points eight rebounds (four on each end), and two blocks in 12 minutes of action. He had a couple of hustle plays in each half that really stirred the crowd at TD Garden.
“Neemi hasn't been in the rotation as much because we've been healthy, but you kind of saw why he plays a role on our team,” said Mazzulla. “He changed the game for us in the first half and did it again in the second half. That role and what he can do for us is very important for our team.”
Oshae Brissett, Sam Hauser, and Payton Pritchard all played admirably off the bench, as well, combining for 26 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists.
And while the bulk of the charge was led by Jayson Tatum (24 points), Jrue Holiday (22 points), and Jaylen Brown (21 points), the most alluring aspect was the play of those role players and how they didn’t allow the Celtics to lose a step despite missing a couple of key guys.
“Being down two starters, it's just a testament to the guys, to the character, to the locker room,” said Joe Mazzulla. “The strength of the team is regardless of who's out, we play a certain level.”