![130263797_web1_130263797-0ddbe2d1aa1f474b9f9f08a696636f55
The Boston Celtics Jaylen Brown (7) and the San Antonio Spurs Jeremy Sochan fight for possession during the first half of an NBA game Sunday in San Antonio.
AP photo](https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/130263797_web1_130263797-0ddbe2d1aa1f474b9f9f08a696636f55.jpg)
The Boston Celtics’ Jaylen Brown (7) and the San Antonio Spurs’ Jeremy Sochan fight for possession during the first half of an NBA game Sunday in San Antonio.
AP photo
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SAN ANTONIO — Jayson Tatum scored 25 points, Jaylen Brown added 24 and the Boston Celtics extended their winning streak to six games with a 134-101 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday night.
Derrick White scored 17 points against his former team, and Kristaps Porzingis added 14 points and nine rebounds in his return after missing one game due to a calf injury.
“We got stops,” Boston coach joe Mazzulla said. “I thought we were really good at doing both, protecting the paint and getting out to contest, which allowed us to get out in transition. I think our secondary transition, we did a good job of recognizing where the mismatch was and getting to it fast and playing together as a team through it.”
Devin Vassell scored 22 points and Victor Wembanyama had 21 points and seven rebounds for San Antonio. The Spurs have lost seven of eight.
“They are a championship-caliber team, that’s what they are out there for, that’s their goal, and they proved it once again,” San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich said. “Joe does a great job with them. They’ve got good talent, obviously, all-star talent; and they’ve got the grit. They’ve got the execution and getting better all the time. That’s a tough challenge at this particular time for our group.”
Boston closed out the month of December with a 12-2 record.
The matchup between the top team in the Eastern Conference and the last-place team in the West played out as expected.
“I can feel that compared to the past years, they have something extra this year,” Wembanyama said. “And, of course, it’s difficult to play against them and it is a good challenge. But I think we learned today.”
Boston led by as many as 37 points and sat its starters for most of the fourth quarter.
San Antonio never led while trailing by 35 points or more in a game for the sixth time this season.
Zach Collins sat out with a sprained ankle and lower back spasms kept Keldon Johnson out of the game. The Spurs’ offense struggled without the duo.
Wembanyama and Vassell scored San Antonio’s first 17 points. The pair combined to shoot 5 for 20 from the field in the opening quarter. The rest of the Spurs went 2 for 14. San Antonio finished 12 for 44 from 3-point range.
Wembanyama provided some of the few highlights for Spurs fans. The 7-foot-3 rookie followed up a reverse slam off an alley-oop pass from Tre Jones with a 3-pointer that cut Boston’s lead to 38-29 in the second quarter.
Wembanyama also took off from the free throw line while holding the ball over his head for a one-handed dunk against White.
“I’m not an idiot,” White said, chuckling afterwards. “I was hoping he would take another dribble, and then I could try to do that (strip or steal), but he picked it up and I never saw it again. So, I was just trying to get out of the way. That was crazy.”
Boston limited San Antonio to one offensive rebound in the first half, and held a 23-14 advantage in total rebounds.
The Celtics had six players score in double figures.
Spurs second-year player Malaki Branham (11 points) was the only player, aside from Wembanyama and Vassell, to score in double figures.
PELICANS 129, LAKERS 109
NEW ORLEANS — Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram each scored 26 points and New Orleans beat road-weary Los Angeles.
Los Angeles was coming off a 108-106 loss at Minnesota on Saturday night, while New Orleans was off two days after beating Utah at home Thursday night.
LeBron James scored 34 points and former Pelican Anthony Davis added 20 points and 10 rebounds, but they didn’t get enough help as the Lakers lost for the seventh time in nine games.
The meeting was the first since the Lakers dismantled New Orleans 133-89 in the In-Season Tournament semifinal in Las Vegas on Dec. 7.
SUNS 112, MAGIC 107
PHOENIX — Kevin Durant scored 31 points, Bradley Beal added a season-high 25 and Phoenix beat Orlando for its third straight victory.
Beal was playing in just his eighth game this season because of back and ankle injuries. The three-time All-Star — acquired in an offseason trade with Washington — shot 10 of 13 from the field, including a powerful dunk in the third quarter.
Durant shot 12 of 21 from the field and added five rebounds and five assists. Devin Booker scored 21 points and Jusuf Nurkic had 19 points and 13 rebounds. The Suns’ backups scored only six points, all by Chimezie Metu.
Paolo led Orlando with 28 points. Franz Wagner added 27.
THUNDER 124, NETS 108
OKLAHOMA CITY — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 24 points and six assists and Oklahoma City beat Brooklyn for its fourth straight victory.
Josh Giddey had 20 points, six rebounds and five assists, and rookie Chet Holmgren added 18 points, 10 rebounds and two blocked shots. Oklahoma City improved to 22-9, good for second place in the Western Conference.
Mikal Bridges had 22 points — 15 in the first quarter — to go with seven rebounds and seven assists for Brooklyn. The Nets have lost three straight.
KINGS 123, GRIZZLIES 92
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Malik Monk scored 27 points, Domantas Sabonis added 13 points, 21 rebounds and 12 assists for a triple-double and Sacramento routed Memphis.
Monk was 10 of 13 from the field and missed just one of his five 3-point shots. Sabonis had his sixth triple-double of the season.
Jaren Jackson led Memphis with 18 points. Desmond Bane, Ja Morant and Luke Kennard had with 17 points apiece. The Grizzlies have lost three in a row.
HAWKS 130, WIZARDS 126
WASHINGTON — Trae Young had 40 points and 13 assists, Dejounte Murray scored 32 points and Atlanta overcame a slow start to beat Washington.
Jalen Johnson added a career-high 24 points and had 13 rebounds.
Kyle Kuzma scored 38 points and hit seven 3-pointers for Washington.