Spurs at Celtics
The San Antonio Spurs will try to keep alive a perfect road record when they visit the surging Boston Celtics for a Friday afternoon tilt. A 119-114 win in Charlotte on Wednesday pushed the Spurs' road mark to 8-0, tying them with 2010-11 team for the best start away from home in franchise history.
"It's a weird year," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich told reporters. "We've lost three in a row at home, and last year we lost one the whole year. Now we're undefeated on the road, so don't ask me. That's why they call it a game because you never know what's going to happen." San Antonio will try to go 9-0 on the road for the first time against a Celtics team it has defeated on nine straight occasions, including four in a row at Boston. The Celtics are coming off a perfect 3-0 road trip and have won six of their last eight, the latest a 111-92 victory at Brooklyn on Wednesday. Isaiah Thomas scored 23 points and Boston improved to 5-1 with Al Horford (17 points) - who missed time due to a concussion - in the lineup.
TV: 1 p.m. ET, FSN Southwest (San Antonio), CSN New England (Boston)
ABOUT THE SPURS (12-3): San Antonio has won seven in a row overall and continues to do loads of damage from 3-point range and the foul line. The Spurs enter Friday leading the NBA with a 39.7-percent mark from beyond the arc and an 84-percent showing from the charity stripe, numbers they bolstered in the win over the Hornets by going 13-of-31 from long distance and 18-of-20 on free throws. Kawhi Leonard scored 30 points and has led the team in scoring in 12 of the first 15 games, while LaMarcus Aldridge returned from a one-game layoff (rest) to top the 20-point mark for the third time in a row.
ABOUT THE CELTICS (9-6): Horford has hit the ground running after his absence and forward Jae Crowder had his best effort versus the Nets since returning from an ankle injury three games ago, recording 15 points and five rebounds in just 22 minutes. Thomas has scored at least 20 points in all but one game but also has fallen into a bit of a shooting slump by hitting only 38.5 percent over his last seven contests. Avery Bradley recorded 22 points, seven rebounds and five steals against Brooklyn and is averaging 9.7 boards at home this season.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. San Antonio's last six wins have come by single digits.
2. Celtics G Marcus Smart was 6-of-28 from the floor on the road trip.
3. The Spurs are 37-9 against the Celtics since Feb. 11, 1992.