The Boston Celtics went on the road for their second win of the season, defeating the Washington Wizards 122-102. Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum both had impressive performances with 52 combined points. A hot shooting night from Jordan Poole kept the first half interesting, but the Celtics pulled away in the second half, as their championship experience prevailed over Washington’s youth. This win helped the Boston Celtics improve to 2-0 on the season, while the Wizards fell to 0-1.
A Competitive First Half
From the start, it was clear that the Wizards were not going to lie down for the defending champions. Jordan Poole led the way for Washington early on, showcasing his scoring ability. He hit multiple threes and gave the Celtics defense trouble with 17 points in the first quarter, shooting 5-of-7 from three. Poole’s shooting helped the Wizards go on a 15-2 run to build a bit of a lead as Boston struggled to get shots to fall. But Boston clawed their way back off the efforts of Jayson Tatum and Derrick White. Tatum had 14 first quarter points as the Celtics led 33-32.
The Wizards played the Celtics much differently than the New York Knicks on opening night. Washington opted for much more one-on-one defense to try and avoid off-ball shooters getting open for three. So, to counter this, Boston got to the free throw line at a significant rate. In the first half, Boston was 13-of-16 from the line while Washington was just 4-of-6. The Celtics took advantage of the youth on the Wizards’ squad, not only by drawing fouls but in isolation. Tatum in particular, took on Wizards rookie Alex Sarr for multiple contested three-point shots.
Toward the end of the half, the Boston Celtics went on a run capped off by a tough transition bucket from Jaylen Brown. At halftime, the Celtics led 64-54. Jayson Tatum and Jordan Poole each had 20 first half points, leading the way for their teams. Other double-digit scorers in the half were Derrick White with 13 and Jaylen Brown with 11.
The Boston Celtics Pull Ahead
In the third quarter, the Boston Celtics began to build their lead. They started the second half on a 16-4 run, mainly through transition points. The Celtics turned stifling defensive possessions into baskets on the other end and grew their lead to 20-plus. Payton Pritchard heated up in the third, with multiple threes. With Sam Hauser out due to back soreness, Pritchard and other bench players like Neemias Queta and Xavier Tillman got more minutes.
Pritchard even hit another patented full-court shot to end the third quarter, but it did not count. Still, he ended the game with 15 points, shooting 5-of-10 from three. At the end of the third quarter, the Boston Celtics led 98-73, outscoring the Washington Wizards 34-19 in the quarter.
Final Stat lines
In the fourth quarter, both teams brought out their bench units, as the game was all but over. With a final score of 122-102, the Boston Celtics defeated the Washington Wizards. Jaylen Brown led the Celtics in scoring with 27 points on 10-of-20 shooting. Brown buried a couple of threes in the second half to help Boston increase their lead and was lethal in transition. Jayson Tatum ended the game with 25 points, with 20 coming in the first half.
For the Wizards, Jordan Poole’s hot start propelled him to a 26-point performance in the loss. It was also the NBA debut of Washington’s second overall pick, Alex Sarr. Sarr struggled, with two points on 1-of-7 shooting, going 0-of-5 from three. His size and length make him a good rim protector, but he was brought out to the perimeter multiple times, where Tatum put the rookie to work. Sarr’s backup, Jonas Valanciunas played well with 18 points off the bench.
Final Thoughts
The Boston Celtics strong second half allowed them to pull away for a convincing 122-102 victory. This helps them improve to 2-0 on the season. Meanwhile, the Washington Wizards drop to 0-1 after losing their home opener. The Boston Celtics continue their road trip, playing in Detroit on Saturday against the Pistons. The Wizards also have their next game on Saturday, taking on the Cleveland Cavaliers.
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