The Boston Celtics arrived within the nation’s capital, first for a go to to the White Home after which for a matchup in opposition to the Washington Wizards at Capital One Area.
Each stops have been successful. United States President Joe Biden honored the reigning NBA champions Thursday and 24 hours later, the Celtics outlasted the Wizards on their strawberry-red courtroom to earn a 108-96 victory — Boston’s fourth straight win. It wasn’t simple because the pattern of nail-biting contests that passed off in opposition to the Atlanta Hawks and Cleveland Cavaliers within the first two group play video games continued in Washington.
The Celtics improved to 12-3 and 2-1 in NBA Cup contests.
Listed here are three studs and three duds:
STUDS
Jaylen Brown
There wasn’t an entire lot of offensive effectivity, and even whereas capturing 3-for-13 from 3-point vary, Brown did the whole lot to maintain Boston aggressive. Brown scored a game-leading 31 factors for the Celtics and grabbed 11 rebounds to safe a double-double — Brown’s third this season. The reigning NBA Finals MVP capped off his efficiency with a sensational fadeaway jumper to place Boston forward, 99-92, with 46.4 seconds left within the fourth quarter.
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Brown additionally notched his fourth profession 30-point, 10-rebound and five-assist exhibiting.
Malcolm Brogdon
For the primary time since being traded from the Celtics to the Portland Path Blazers two offseasons in the past, Brogdon bought to face his previous Boston teammates. Brogdon made the beginning and recorded a double-double of his personal, scoring 18 factors and grabbing 10 rebounds.
Luke Kornet
The absence of Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford was a obvious issue, subsequently, frontcourt contributions have been extraordinarily vital. Kornet supplied an environment friendly 24 minutes off the bench to assist fill that void, scoring six factors on 3-of-3 capturing from the sphere with six rebounds (three offensive), a steal and a block to earn a plus-15 ranking.
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DUDS
Boston’s first-half protection
The Celtics allowed the Wizards to gather 4 consecutive offensive rebounds with the rating tangled up at 29-29 within the second quarter. Boston struggled to separate itself from that time to the halftime buzzer as Washington, a crew rating twenty sixth within the league in efficient field-goal proportion, shot 20-of-46 (43.5%) from the ground with 24 factors within the paint within the first half. The stagnant defensive tempo, which prompted head coach Joe Mazzulla to name a number of timeouts, backfired coming into the third quarter.
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Jayson Tatum’s 3-point contact
As a rule, Tatum’s capturing from past the arc is dependable. However similar to anybody else within the league, Tatum is due for an off night time right here and there, which got here to life in Washington on a handful of inopportune moments. The Celtics did the whole lot they may to assault the basket, draw defenders and create openings for Tatum, however the five-time All-Star couldn’t join from lengthy vary. He completed 0-for-10 from downtown and 6-for-19 in whole, strolling away with 16 factors, seven rebounds and eight assists.
Neemias Queta
The struggles of Queta continued as Boston’s developmental undertaking couldn’t get happening both facet of the courtroom. Queta made his fifth begin of the season and shot simply 1-for-3 with seven factors and two rebounds, leaving Mazzulla no alternative however to rely extra on a mix of Kornet and Xavier Tillman Sr. off the bench.
