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Recap: Boston Celtics Blowout Washington Wizards

By Jeremy Karll

Jan 25, 2016; Washington, DC, USA; Boston Celtics guard Avery Bradley (0) shoots over Washington Wizards guard Garrett Temple (17) during the first half at Verizon Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 25, 2016; Washington, DC, USA; Boston Celtics guard Avery Bradley (0) shoots over Washington Wizards guard Garrett Temple (17) during the first half at Verizon Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports /
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After battling a snowstorm, the Boston Celtics blew out the Philadelphia 76ers last night. There was some concern that the game being delayed a day would affect the Celtics in their Monday night game against the Washington Wizards. That was not the case however as the Celtics blew out the Wizards, 116-91 for their third straight win.

It was the second game in a row that players at the end of the bench got to see a little playing time for Boston, yet no David Lee once again. Terry Rozier played in his second consecutive game as he recorded two rebounds and two assists in four minutes. James Young scored five quick points in the final three minutes of the game, showing off his quick scoring ability.

It was a team effort tonight as Marcus Smart was the only player on Boston to record more than 30 minutes (32 minutes). Isaiah Thomas only recorded 28 minutes but was still able to contribute 23 points and 9 assists. Kelly Olynyk added 13 points in 22 minutes and Evan Turner had a team high 18 points in 29 minutes on 7-11 shooting from the field.

Jan 25, 2016; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal (3) advances the ball as Boston Celtics guard Evan Turner (11) defends during the first half at Verizon Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 25, 2016; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal (3) advances the ball as Boston Celtics guard Evan Turner (11) defends during the first half at Verizon Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports /

John Wall wasn’t a huge contributor tonight for Washington. His shot was not falling and the Celtics’ defense was ferocious on him tonight to make sure he didn’t have another huge game against them. He finished with eight points on 3-11 shooting and 10 assists. Ramon Sessions played big minutes for the Wizards tonight as he went for 12 points in 23 minutes played.

The first half was close the entire way. During the first quarter, both teams were competitive and the lead was going back and forth. Isaiah Thomas had nine points for the Celtics, including seven in a row in the middle of the quarter. Scoring was all over for the Wizards. Everyone on their team contributed and it showed as the Celtics only held a 22-20 lead after the first 12 minutes.

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The second quarter was when the reserves started chipping in, like usual, for the Celtics. Boston’s starters got a lot of rest once again and as a result didn’t have a huge impact until near the end of the quarter. Tyler Zeller, who has seen more playing time over the past three games, Evan Turner and Marcus Smart were huge off the bench in the second quarter.

The Celtics went down seven at one point, 34-41, however, they were able to claw their way back before half and hold a 53-49 lead. Washington was not able to hold onto the lead because the lack of John Wall’s presence tonight. They could only last so long without their star player before Boston picked up the intensity.

Boston started the second half on a 9-3 run and it seemed to be over from that point. Boston had their first double-digit lead with 8:23 left in the third quarter, leading 62-52. It seemed like Boston couldn’t miss in the last four minutes of the quarter. Olynyk had six points at the end of the quarter and helped spark the Celtics late in the quarter.

The Celtics went on a 12-3 run to end the quarter and Washington wasn’t able to keep up. The difference between this game and their last meeting was that Wall wasn’t able to stop the Celtics’ runs tonight. During their last meeting, Wall was the Celtic killer and stopped any little run they had, but not tonight. Boston was able to pick up the intensity and ran away with the game, something that was very nice to see.

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Boston led 84-70 going into the fourth quarter and the game seemed to already be over. The Celtics had their best scoring quarter of the game, 32 points, without Isaiah Thomas scoring a point in the fourth quarter. It’s a great testament to their depth.

The bench stepped up big for the Celtics when the starters weren’t playing well tonight. A strong second and fourth quarter from the reserves helped the Celtics pull away and not give Washington any hope of coming back in the game. It was also great to see Rozier and Young getting a little action as any NBA action will help their development.

The Boston Celtics have now won three games in a row. Now the question is, how long can they continue this level of play? They have an impressive win over the Chicago Bulls and two blowout victories in a row but have yet to play consistent basketball for a long stretch this season.

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Their upcoming schedule gives Boston a reason to hope that this winning streak will be longer. They take on the Denver Nuggets and Orlando Magic at home, both winnable games. They then travel to Orlando to face the Magic once again on Sunday to finish up the month of January. If Boston plays the way they have been during these past three games they will have a good chance of winning all three games.

The win over the Wizards puts the Celtics at 25-21 and 13-11 on the road this season. They’re also in sole possession of fifth place in the Eastern Conference now.

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