San Antonio Spurs vs Boston Celtics Prediction & Match Preview - January 5th, 2022 | NBA Season 2021-22

The San Antonio Spurs will look for their first win in their seven-game road trip when they play the Boston Celtics on Wednesday at the TD Garden.

With several of their regular players under the NBA’s health and safety protocols, the Spurs have endured four straight losses. Dejounte Murray, the Spurs’ best player, has exited the protocols, but did not play against the Toronto Raptors. If he sit out against the Celtics, it could be another long night for the Spurs.

The Boston Celtics, meanwhile, are on a two-game winning streak. They bounced back from a moribund display to beat the Orlando Magic in their last game. Jaylen Brown dropped 50 points to lead the Celtics’ thrilling comeback win.

Jayson Tatum is out of the league's protocols, and is slated to play against the San Antonio Spurs. Robert Williams, the Boston Celtics’ starting center, has been upgraded to probable, which is a positive for the C's. They’ll be the favorites into in matchup.

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Match Details

Fixture: San Antonio Spurs vs Boston Celtics | 2021-22 NBA season

Date & Time: Wednesday, January 5th; 7:30 PM ET (Thursday, January 6th; 6:00 AM IST).

Venue: TD Garden, Boston, MA.

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San Antonio Spurs Preview

The Spurs, without Dejounte Murray, were blown away by the Toronto Raptors. [Photo: Pounding the Rock]

The San Antonio Spurs' defense has been poor recently. In their last ten games, their defensive rating of 113.5 means they are the second-worst defense in the league. The Spurs recently lost to the severely depleted Detroit Pistons before getting walloped by the Toronto Raptors.

Dejounte Murray’s absence has really been felt by the San Antonio Spurs. Without their best two-way player and leader, they have often looked lost. A silver lining still exists, though, despite their recent horrid display.

The San Antonio Spurs continue to be a very good rebounding team that takes care of the ball. They’re also tied with the Golden State Warriors for the highest average in assists per game this season. If they can get back Murray and their defensive identity, they could give the Boston Celtics a run for their money.

Key Player - Derrick White

If Dejounte Murray sits out to prolong his conditioning, Derrick White could be the San Antonio Spurs’ key player. He has been the leader at both ends of the floor ,without Murray in the last few games.

White is averaging 14.5 points, three rebounds, 5.6 assists and a career-best 1.2 steals per game this campaign. He is struggling with his shooting efficiency, but is slowly gaining confidence with each game. While he was previously reluctant to look for his shots, he has been quite aggressive, especially in his last ten games.

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San Antonio Spurs Predicted Lineup

G - Tre Jones | G - Derrick White | F - Devin Vassell | F - Keldon Johnson | C - Jakob Poeltl.

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Boston Celtics Preview

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown will lead the Boston Celtics against the San Antonio Spurs. [Photo: CelticsBlog]

The Boston Celtics’ last two games epitomize their roller-coaster season. After handily beating one of the best teams in the league, the Phoenix Suns, they barely escaped against the Orlando Magic. If they continue struggling for consistency, they are likely going to see-saw their way through the season.

If not for Jaylen Brown’s 50-piece, the Celtics could have easily lost one of their worst games of the season. Nevertheless, credit goes to the team for refusing to give up even up when the going got tough.

The return of Jayson Tatum and the likely comeback of Robert Williams III should only make them stronger. The Celtics sorely need to string together more wins, with their roster nearly back to full strength. Brad Stevens could bring changes if the C's continue to flounder even if they get healthy.

Key Player - Jaylen Brown

After exploding for a career-high 50 points and willing the Celtics to their second straight win, Brown could be a key player in this game too. Despite Jayson Tatum returning from the league's health and safety protocols, Brown could have another big game following a confidence-boosting performance.

The 25-year old All-Star has been phenomenal since returning from a nagging hamstring injury that caused him to miss several games this season. He is averaging 28.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.3 steals per contest. The Celtics will hope for more of the same from Brown in this game.

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Boston Celtics Predicted Lineup

G - Marcus Smart | G - Jaylen Brown | F - Jayson Tatum | F - Al Horford | C - Robert Williams III.

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Spurs vs Celtics Match Prediction

The San Antonio Spurs will be playing the second game of a back-to-back, and are road weary. They are also missing a few of their regular players. Even if Murray plays, the Celtics are favored to win this game.

If the Celtics play with a sense of urgency and maintain their defensive identity, they could extend their winning streak to three games.

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Where to watch the Spurs vs Celtics game?

The NBA League Pass will stream the game live. Local coverage of the matchup will be available via NBC Sports Boston and Bally Sports San Antonio.