Celtics at Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are not the opponent a struggling team wants to see, but they'll await the visiting Boston Celtics on Wednesday. The Spurs have won seven straight and are tied for the best record in the NBA. As quickly as Boston seemed to have turned things around during a four-game winning streak, it has gone back in the other direction during a four-game skid.
The Celtics started their Texas trip with a 109-85 loss at Houston on Tuesday, and it wasn't as close as the final score - they scored 85 points on 99 shots and allowed 109 on 72 field-goal attempts. "We're letting one end affect the other, and good teams don't do that," Celtics coach Brad Stevens told reporters. San Antonio is 4-0 at home and has won three straight meetings with Boston.
TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, CSN New England (Boston), FSN Southwest (San Antonio)
ABOUT THE CELTICS (4-8): The streaky Celtics hit a new low in Houston, giving up 40 points in the first quarter and falling behind by 33 before making it look somewhat respectable. Leading scorer Jeff Green (14.5 points) has gone cold, managing just six points on 2-of-13 shooting over the past two games. Boston desperately misses point guard Rajon Rondo, as the team averages 16.9 turnovers and 17.7 assists.
ABOUT THE SPURS (9-1): San Antonio has been locked in on defense, holding five straight opponents under 90 points and allowing more than 100 only once all season. The Spurs aren't flashy at the other end, but they have five players averaging double digits with point guard Tony Parker (18.5 points, 6.2 assists) leading the way. They do an excellent job of moving the ball to create open looks and rank fifth in the league at 47.6 percent from the field.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. With a win, San Antonio would match the best 11-game start in franchise history. The Spurs won 13 of their first 14 games in 2010-11.
2. The Spurs have outscored their opponents in the paint in eight of 10 games and hold a plus-86 advantage for the season.
3. Boston ranks second in the league at defending the 3-pointer (31.5 percent) but has allowed 25 made 3s in the past three games compared to 42 in its first nine contests.