FINAL: Wizards 104 | Celtics 91
SCORING LEADERS
Wizards: Bradley Beal (35), Rui Hachimura (15), Russell Westbrook (13)
Celtics: Jaylen Brown (25), Kemba Walker (25), Jayson Tatum (6)
SUMMARY
Led by 35 points from Bradley Beal, the Wizards defeated the Celtics 104-91 on Sunday afternoon at Capital One Arena. Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum led the way for Boston, scoring 50 combined points. Russell Westbrook finished one rebound shy of his sixth triple-double of the season and registered a plus-27 rating in 29 minutes. With the win, Washington snaps a two-game losing streak and turns its attention toward a stretch of seven consecutive games against Western Conference opponents, beginning Monday night against Houston.
After struggling to open games in recent weeks, the Wizards came out strong Sunday against the Celtics, winning the first quarter 29-22 behind 12 points from Beal and a 11-22 (.500) shooting performance as a team. While the Washington offense struggled in the second quarter, their strong defensive performance was enough to continue building on the lead. The Wizards held the Celtics to 9-24 (.375) from the field and 1-10 (.100) from 3-point range in the second quarter and closed the first half on a 7-2 run to lead by 12 at halftime.
The Wizards dialed it up coming out of the half, riding a 20-6 run early in the third capped off by a Rui Hachimura dunk to take a 24-point lead. After the Celtics answered with an 11-1 run of their own, Beal helped the Wizards re-take momentum and a 20-point lead. Washington’s lead hit 25 with just over six minutes left in the game when Davis Bertans knocked down a three off a pass from Beal. Bertans has now gone nine games in a row hitting at least two 3-pointers. With a sizeable fourth quarter lead and another game just over 24 hours away, the Wizards turned to their reserves for most of the fourth quarter.
THREE THINGS TO KNOW
Beal goes off for game-high 35
After resting in the Wizards Friday night matchup with the Knicks, Beal returned to the lineup in full force on Sunday afternoon, leading the team in scoring for the 20th time this season, this time with 35 points on 10-18 (.556) from the field. After scoring 18 points in the first half, Beal played the entire third quarter, racking up another 14 points and four rebounds. He leads the league with 15 games this season with at least 30 points and has crossed the 30-point mark in six of his last eight games. Beal added seven rebounds and five assists and now has four games this season with at least 35 points, five rebounds and five assists, trailing only Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic this season. In two games against the Celtics this season, Beal is averaging 38.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game.
Washington’s lineup change pays off
Wizards head coach Scott Brooks mixed up the starting lineup on Sunday, sliding Garrison Mathews into the three spot alongside Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal – and starting Moe Wagner alongside Rui Hachimura in the frontcourt. Wagner’s start was his first of the season and 11th of his career. The move paid off in the early going as the Wizards jumped out to a lead in the first quarter, something they had struggled to do in recent games. Wagner finished with a plus-11 rating, totaling 11 points, four rebounds, two assists, two steals and a block in 22 minutes of action. Mathews did not score, but made an impact defensively before leaving the in the final minute after a hard collision with an opponent. Back in the reserve role he’s occupied for most of his career, Bertans totaled eight points, eight rebounds and registered a plus-17 rating.
After the game, Brooks praised Mathews and Wagner for their performances: “Garrison and Moe, I thought they did a great job guarding their man, playing, talking, communicating, fighting through, playing with toughness. I thought that was a big part of our win.”
Wizards win with defense
The Wizards’ win over the Celtics came by way of one of their best defensive performances of the season, marking the first time this year they have held their opponent under 100 points. Washington shot just 33-83 (.398) from the field and 7-30 (.233) from 3-point range, but never allowed the Celtics’ offense to get in motion. Boston never scored more than 24 points in a quarter, shot 32-90 (.356) overall, 9-35 (.257) from deep and recorded 17 turnovers to just 14 assists. While Walker and Brown each scored a team-high 25 points, no other Celtics player scored more than six points. Jayson Tatum, who entered the game averaging 26.6 points per game, scored just six points on 3-14 (.214) from the field.
NEXT UP: Rockets at Wizards / Monday, February 15 / 7:00 P.M. / Capital One Arena
HIGHLIGHT OF THE NIGHT
RUSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS#NBAAllStar | @russwest44 pic.twitter.com/ZDGCSmL199
— Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) February 14, 2021
"behind" - Google News
February 15, 2021 at 04:26AM
https://ift.tt/3b1zXmC
Recap: Wizards win 104-91 over Celtics behind defense, Beal's 35 points - WashingtonWizards.com
"behind" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2YqUhZP
https://ift.tt/2yko4c8
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Recap: Wizards win 104-91 over Celtics behind defense, Beal's 35 points - WashingtonWizards.com"
Post a Comment