Victor Wembanyama dominates as Celtics fall narrowly to Spurs: 7 takeaways

"Wembanyama's statline doesn't come close to telling the story of Saturday's game - a measly 21 points, six rebounds and three blocked shots in 26 minutes. He wasn't even particularly efficient: Just 8-for-17 from the floor and 1-for-4 from three. But when Wembanyama entered the game, the entire tenor changed. The Celtics didn't look comfortable going to the rim, and they - like every other team in the league - don't have anyone who can match up with Wembanyama defensively. Jordan Walsh got the matchup at first, coming off the bench behind Hugo González, and Walsh did his best (which was pretty good!)."

"But Wembanyama's late baskets showed how futile it can be to try to stop him. He hit one jumper basket over Neemias Queta with Queta as close as he could reasonably hope to be, and then Wembanyama iced the game with a jumper over Scheierman. Wembanyama is simply too big and skilled to be stopped. The Celtics had to hope that 1) they could outscore the Spurs by enough in the 22 minutes Wembanyama spent on the bench to counteract the minutes he was on the floor and 2) that Wembanyama would miss. Neither element happened enough for the Celtics to pull out a win on Saturday."

"The Celtics, notably, shot just four free throws, and two came in the closing seconds. The Spurs, meanwhile, took 20. A livid Jaylen Brown after the game took the officials to task, guaranteeing himself a hefty fine."

Victor Wembanyama transformed the contest in limited minutes, forcing the Celtics into uncomfortable offensive decisions and defensive mismatches. He posted 21 points, six rebounds and three blocks in 26 minutes while shooting 8-for-17 from the floor and 1-for-4 from three. Boston lacked a defender who could contain Wembanyama, rotating Jordan Walsh and Baylor Scheierman into tough matchups. Wembanyama's late jumpers over Neemias Queta and Scheierman effectively sealed the outcome. The Celtics attempted only four free throws versus the Spurs' 20, prompting an angry Jaylen Brown to criticize officials and risking a fine.

Read at Boston.com