The Celtics should have closed out the series in Washington, but will now have to end things in Boston.
In one of the more exciting games of the 2017 postseason, the Wizards escaped Game 6 with a 92-91 victory. The Celtics had plenty of chances to win the game, but weren’t able to completely shut the door on Washington’s season.
Brad Stevens had one message for his team after the loss. All he said was, “Game 7 on Monday.” That’s really all he could have said to his team after this one. Boston didn’t play their best game, but they certainly played better than the Wizards.
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If not for a ill advised pull up three by John Wall miraculously going down, Boston would be preparing for Game 1 against Cleveland. Instead, they’ll have to take care of business in the biggest game of the year to this point.
Avery Bradley and Al Horford were terrific in Game 6 as they were in Game 5. This gave Isaiah Thomas more room on the offensive end, which helped him take control of the game in the second half. He scored 10 points in the fourth quarter, and would have the been the hero of the game if not for Wall.
Thomas’ heroics gave the Celtics a five point lead with a 1:34 left in the game. Unfortunately the Wizards found a way to come back and win it, but the Celtics shouldn’t feel too down about the loss. They had the Wizards on the brink, and they needed an improbable shot to keep their season alive.
The problem for the Celtics in Game 6 is that they were unable to make the shots they have made all season long. There were multiple missed layups and open threes that normally go down. Boston did a good job defending Wall in transition, and limited their turnovers. Those are the two things that the Celtics have needed to do all series to give themselves the best chance to win.
All the Celtics have to do is play with good purpose and physicality. If they keep moving the ball and attacking on offense, the shots they were missing will fall. The Celtics shot 31% from three in this game, which is not something that I would expect in a game at the TD Garden.
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The Celtics only got five points from the second unit in Game 6. Home court advantage will surely help this as role players typically play better at home than on the road. This series has surely been intense, and Game 7 will be no different. Boston needs to make sure to set the tone and impose their will in such an important game against a team they are better than.