Victor Wembanyama Dazzles but a Step Behind Jayson Tatum in Celtics Win

BOSTON — Victor Wembanyama’s first trip to TD Garden oohhs-and-ahhs, stepping out further from the rim each time as he scored 12 straight Spurs points in the first quarter and the Boston crowd couldn’t resist showing at least some intrigue in their opponent. Joe Mazzulla didn’t care, requesting as he approached the podium last year not to ask about Wembanyama, who scored 27 points on 10-for-19 shooting in a blowout Celtics win at home.

This game resembled that one for much of the night, as this season has for a Spurs team still fighting into the postseason picture in the west. They’ve been better, surpassing their 22 wins last year on Monday in Washington, as has Wembanyama, who’s heading to all-star weekend to play in the game rather than the Rising Stars Competition.

The last game prior to their trip to San Francisco showed Jayson Tatum and Wembanyama on different levels, for now, with the Celtics prevailing, 116-103. Tatum scored 32 points with 14 rebounds and seven assists on 12-of-25 shooting without Jaylen Brown and Jrue Holiday. Wembanyama still posted 17 points, 13 rebounds and four assists with two blocks on a slow night.

“He’s taken tremendous steps,” Mitch Johnson said before the game. “He’s been more physical, played through contact, more consistent. When you, even by the eye test, jus look at him, I think his intention has really grown in terms of trying to make plays and trying to prioritize things that have been asked and he’s been challenged to do. I know sometimes it’s still left him wanting more because of all his potential, but I think he’s done a tremendous job in that regard.”

It took 42 seconds for Wembanyama to show and recover against an Al Horford pick-and-pop to force an air-ball, finish over Horford at the free throw line the other way, then block Horford underneath the rim as he attacked the star’s closeout from the corner. The magic wore off as Boston’s defense, shooting and pace turned up, Derrick White poking the ball loose from Wembanyama moments later from behind in transition and setting up one of Tatum’s four first half threes. Wembanyama grimaced at the mistake, and fell to 4-for-10 in the first half while missing all four three-point attempts.

The way the likely defensive player of the year impacted the way the Celtics played throughout the game remained fascinating even without the highlights — like his galloping dunk from around the free throw line in transition on New Year’s Eve in San Antonio while White shied away. Kristaps Porziņģis, who somehow gives up height on the French all-star, pulled out an array of hesitation and fakes in the post to finish over him that initially worked, then led to a turnover and miss around the basket later. His late contest on Horford forced another miss before the Celtics big poured in two threes with more space later.

Horford, who was a senior at Grand Ledge in January, 2004 when Wembanyama was born, handled most of the on-ball coverage against him while Porziņģis dropped. Porziņģis, the former unicorn upon arrival as a young, hyped prospect from overseas, saw some similarities in their journeys.

“Some things maybe. The outside game, the shooting, but he’s different. He’s just longer. Defensively, he’s in a different stratosphere,” Porziņģis said. “Of course, he’s gonna go through some learning like he’s going through now. But what is he averaging 24 (points per game)? Some incredible numbers already, 10 rebounds per game, 3-4 blocks. In my second year, I was way less advanced … He’s at a completely different level, I would say. What’s most important is he stays healthy and keeps improving at this rate and the sky’s the limit for him.”

Into the second, Wembanyama scored strolling past Horford into the post before he nearly tapped in an alley-oop after passing back-and-forth with Keldon Johnson. The Spurs’ deficit mounted to 20 points quickly into the new frame in a 38.2% three-point shooting half for the Celtics while San Antonio fell below 20% from deep into the second half. They still trimmed five points off their 24-point hole into halftime, like the Celtics allowed on Monday, before Wembanyama hit his first three after disrupting a pair of plays to cut it to 13. On the same Boston possession, he deflected a pass from Horford to Porziņģis, then forced White to toss a lob too high to Porziņģis off glass by standing in the way.

De’Aaron Fox, who scored only eight points before halftime, turned up for 12 late in the third to pull the Spurs within 12. He and Wembanyama, now running mates after a deadline blockbuster, mostly took turns rather than playing off each other offensively.

“We keep adapting,” Wembanyama said. “Now I think it’s more on (defense). We know Fox is gonna excel in transition, so we have to be in position to put him in those spaces.”

The pair will likely combine to grow into an NBA force as the team’s younger players develop. Fox and Domantas Sabonis quickly formed one of the league’s great two-man games when they teamed up in Sacramento, and while Wembanyama’s already on the verge of top-10 status statistically, another top-five Tatum performance on the other end toppled his modest showing. Tatum scored seven points with three assists through a full third quarter that pushed him to 31 minutes after logging massive playing time at New York and Miami.

Payton Pritchard and Porziņģis sufficed without Tatum to begin the fourth, growing the lead to 15. Porziņģis spun a Nikola Jokić-like pass behind his head to Horford, who hit Sam Hauser for three and a 15-point edge. They won their five minutes, 12-10, before Tatum returned five minutes into the frame and scored four more to put the game away and enter the break winning three straight and 8-of-10.

“Their team defense is really good,” Wembanyama noticed after. “It makes it hard, because they can really cover up for each other’s mistakes. It’s different than most teams.”