The Boston Celtics (13-9) broke the game wide open in the second half and cruised to their eighth win in ten games with a 146–102 victory over the Washington Wizards (3-18) on December 5.
Here are the key stats and the top performers of the game:
BEST PLAYER OF THE GAME:
Derrick White BOS SG 30 PTS | 7 REB | 9 AST | 52.9 FPS
D-White took control with Brown unavailable because of an illness, erupting for a season-high in points. He’s now recorded seven 20-point games, six games with four made threes, four games with 7 rebounds, and four more with at least 8 assists this season.
BREAKOUT PERFORMANCE:
Jordan Walsh BOS PF 22 PTS | 7 REB | 2 STL | 43.9 FPS
Jordan finished with a career-high on a flawless 8-for-8 shooting, becoming the youngest player in franchise history to do so. Defensively, he’s just as impressive, posting solid rebounds and stock for the third consecutive game.
SCORING MACHINES:
CJ McCollum WAS PG 22 PTS | 2 REB | 3 AST | 30.9 FPS
McCollum finished with 20 points and at least 3 three-pointers for the sixth time this season.
Kyshawn George WAS SG 15 PTS | 3 REB | 2 STL | 22.1 FPS
George has been steady offensively this season, averaging 15 points on 46% shooting from the field and 45% shooting from three. However, he contributed less in other areas today, recording fewer than 5 RA for just the second time this season.
STAT SPECIALIST:
Payton Pritchard BOS PG 20 PTS | 6 REB | 8 AST | 41.2 FPS
Pritchard finished with his seventh 20-point performance, his 11th 5-rebound game, and his tenth 5-assist game of the season.
DEFENSIVE STANDOUT:
Neemias Queta BOS C 17 PTS | 4 REB | 4 BLK | 38.8 FPS
Queta delivered on both ends. Offensively, he shot 7-for-9 from the field to notch his fifth 15-point performance this season. Defensively, he tied his season-high in blocks and also recorded at least 3 stocks for the seventh time.
THE SHARPSHOOTER:
Anfernee Simons BOS SG 16 PTS | 4-8 3PT | 2 STL | 28.9 FPS
Simons had a solid performance from deep, but he struggled from close range, missing all five of his two-point attempts. Still, he finished with his third straight game of double-digit scoring after a rough stretch in which he posted back-to-back 5-point games.
THE X-FACTOR:
Josh Minott BOS PF 11 PTS | 2 AST | 1 STL | 20.8 FPS
Minott has been producing over his last two games, posting 11 points, knocking down multiple threes, and grabbing at least four rebounds in each outing.
PLAYER TO WATCH:
Khris Middleton WAS SF 16 PTS | 3 REB | 4 AST | 23.6 FPS
Middleton posted his third consecutive game with double-digit points on efficient shooting while also contributing in both rebounds and assists.
BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT OF THE GAME:
Bub Carrington WAS PG 7 PTS | 3 REB | 2 AST
Carlton finished with subpar numbers in both points and assists, continuing what has been a largely underwhelming season. Last year, he averaged nearly 10 points, along with 4 rebounds and 4 assists per game.
