March 10, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembayama (1) drives toward the goal against Boston Celtics forward Sam Houser (30) and guard Derrick White (9) in the first half at Frostbank Center. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images Victor Wembanyama scored 39 points, hit eight 3-pointers and added 11 rebounds to lead the up-and-coming San Antonio Spurs to a 125-116 win over the underdog Boston Celtics on Tuesday in a game between the NBA’s top two teams.
Jaylen Brown, Boston’s leading scorer this season, scored only 8 points before being ejected with 3 minutes and 38 seconds left in the second quarter, and the Celtics were ahead by 2 points.
The Spurs, led by seven men in the fourth quarter, only took a 106-105 lead before Wembanyama hit a powerful dunk and then his eighth 3-pointer of the game, the latter with 5 minutes, 57 seconds left.
The score marked the beginning of a 12-0 run that included two jumpers and a free throw by Devin Vassell to push San Antonio’s lead to 13 points. From there, the Spurs maintained their lead, winning their fifth straight and 16th in their last 17 games.
De’Aaron Fox added 25 points for the Spurs, Stephon Castle had 18 and Vassell had 14.
Derrick White led the Celtics with 34 points and Jayson Tatum had 24 points in his third game since tearing his right Achilles tendon in May. Ron Harper Jr. added a career-high 22 points and Sam Hauser added 11 points. Boston’s two-game winning streak was snapped.
The teams traded leads in the opening quarter, with the Spurs leading by as many as eight points early on. Boston battled back to take a seven-point lead, and the game ended 31-29.
The Celtics expanded their lead back to seven points and were still ahead 51-49 when the game suddenly changed. Brown got into a heated argument about a no-call, received two consecutive technical fouls, and was pushed off the sideline and ejected. It was Brown’s second career ejection.
Wembanyama’s free throw with 3:26 left in the first half tied the score at 51. Boston took the lead again, and a pair of free throws by White with 1:40 to play put the Celtics up 58-54. San Antonio responded with the final four points of the period to tie the game at 58 heading into halftime.
Wembanyama’s 15 points led all scorers in the first half, while Fox added 13 and Castle 10. White led the Celtics with 13 points and Tatum had 10.
–Field level media
