Spurs get game-winner to defeat Celtics: Recap, highlights and more

The San Antonio Spurs faced off against the Boston Celtics Friday night in the Alamo City. How did things go down in this one?

Fresh off of a 12-point win against the Miami Heat in South Beach on Wednesday, the Spurs returned home to face the Celtics. Kyrie Irving and company rolled into San Antonio with the best record in the league at 22-4 and had won their last four games.

The Celtics jumped on top of the Spurs early, leading 11-0. San Antonio did not score their first field goal until just over the seven-minute mark in the first quarter. Kyrie Irving scored 17 points and shot 75 percent in the opening period alone. LaMarcus Aldridge picked up 12 quick points to help the Spurs close the gap to five by the end of the quarter.

Rudy Gay registered the Silver and Black’s first big defensive play of the night, blocking this layup early in the second.

DENIED ? https://t.co/RRuYVQ4ATy

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) December 9, 2017

Thanks to some Boston turnovers and missed shots, the game stayed close. Irving had 21 points in the first half to lead Boston in scoring while Aldridge had 19 to lead San Antonio. With just seconds left in the first half, Manu Ginobili made a long three-pointer to give the Spurs a one-point lead at halftime, their first lead of the game.

Ginobili doing Ginobili things.

Halftime on ESPN:#GoSpursGo 56 / #Celtics 55 pic.twitter.com/rjdcBhpYOq

— NBA (@NBA) December 9, 2017

At the start of the third quarter, Danny Green went to the locker room and did not return due to a groin injury. Both teams traded baskets and neither could seize control of the game. The Spurs lead for most of the quarter until Irving hit a three to put Boston back on top 74-73 with just under three minutes to go. Jaylen Brown had two huge dunks and Boston closed the quarter on a 15-4 run to lead by five heading into the final period.

In the fourth quarter the Spurs took the lead back early, but Boston continued to match them blow for blow. Bryn Forbes hit a three-pointer with six minutes left to put San Antonio up by four. However, with just over two and a half minutes to go, Boston hit three-pointers on back-to-back possessions to take the lead back. San Antonio tied the game again with less than a minute to play. The biggest shot of the night came when Ginobili made a high-arching three to put the Spurs up 105-102 with just five seconds left. That wound up being the final score as Kyrie Irving missed a corner three that would have sent the game into overtime.

Ginobili heroics.

Manu hits the game winner for the @spurs and they go on to defeat the @celtics 105-102! #GoSpursGo pic.twitter.com/TNL2o9iou4

— NBA (@NBA) December 9, 2017

LaMarcus Aldridge led the Spurs with 27 points, shooting 55 percent from the field with 10 rebounds. Rudy Gay added 15, Pau Gasol scored 14, and Tony Parker along with Ginobili finished with 11 points. Kyrie Irving led the way for the Celtics with 36 points on 13 of 21 shooting. Jayson Tatum scored 20 points, Jaylen Brown added 15, and Terry Rozier chipped in with 13 off the bench.

Next: Top 25 players in Spurs history

The Spurs will face the Phoenix Suns on the road on Saturday, Dec. 9 at 8:00 p.m. CT.