San Antonio Spurs vs Boston Celtics

The San Antonio Spurs achieved decent results while De’Aaron Fox along with Victor Wembanyama stayed on the injury list. Defense has been a strong point in recent games because the Spurs maintain a top-10 efficiency ranking but their defensive effectiveness appears doubtful for the future.

Without backup center Bassey theSan Antonio defense has suffered a rim defense decline of almost 10 positions and the team now ranks 23rd in rebounding over the last 14 days.

The Spurs defend the mid-range zone better than all teams except one while their defense against three-pointers ranks 11th since Stephon Castle receives more playing time.

San Antonio needs to defend the perimeter effectively against Boston since the Celtics have taken record-high three-pointer attempts throughout the league.

Over the last two weeks Boston shot the three points better than normal but the absence of Payton Pritchard will likely reduce its accuracy.

The Spurs will experience major challenges against the 13th-best Boston defense in three-point defense as the Spurs rely heavily on outside scoring and prefer to shoot from beyond the arc.

The scoring difference between these teams justifies Boston getting no more than a 12.5-point handicap. The San Antonio defensive approach has proven robust surrounding the three-point area and Boston has tended to choose different shot locations which should boost the defensive efforts of the home team against an upper-class offense.