The San Antonio Spurs were challenged at home last Saturday by the Boston Celtics, but the experience of the five-time champions played a huge role which helped them walk away with a tough 108–105 victory.
Saturday's success extended the Spurs' winning streak to three games and also kept them undefeated at home, with a record that now stands at 11–0.
All-Star forward LaMarcus Aldridge had a huge game for San Antonio, tallying 17 points, eight rebounds, one assist, and one rejection.
Fellow big man Boris Diaw also had a standout performance, contributing 16 points, three rebounds, and four assists off the bench.
Veteran guard Manu Ginobili and 2014 Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP) forward Kawhi Leonard also stepped up, tallying 15 points each.
Leonard also had eight rebounds, four assists, and two steals, while along with Ginobili's scoring, he also had seven rebounds and four assists.
Following the close win, Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich spoke about the way the Celtics played and executed and how San Antonio's "experience" came up big to steal the victory.
"I think this game will help us get better because I thought they moved better without the ball. They executed what they wanted to do better than we did," Popovich said, according to the Associated Press.
The championship-winning coach added, "We just had an experienced group that executed some stuff down the stretch. It got us over."
Because of the win, San Antonio now has a tighter grip of the second spot in the Western Conference standings, with the team now having a 17–4 record, just behind the 22–0 Golden State Warriors.
The Spurs hope to extend the winning streak when they leave home and hit the road for two games against Eastern Conference squads.
Today, Monday, San Antonio will play against the struggling Philadelphia 76ers who are last in the East and in the National Basketball Association (NBA) with a 1–20 record.
Following the matchup, the Spurs will be challenged by the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday.
