The Boston Celtics (13-3) overcame an ugly shooting night to claim a 108-96 victory against the Washington Wizards (2-12) on November 23. The win extends their win streak to four and puts them at 2-1 in the NBA Cup.
The Celtics’ offense was far from their usual sharp selves as they shot 36-of-85 from the field and 11-of-46 from deep. Jayson Tatum shot 6-of-19 and missed all of his three-point attempts (0-10) while Jaylen Brown and Derrick White combined for 5-of-21 from three. But Brown still managed to put up 31 points, including the game-clinching jumper with under a minute to go, adding 11 rebounds and 5 assists. Jrue Holiday contributed 16 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 steals, while Tatum flirted with a triple-double, posting 16 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists.
The Wizards were led by Jordan Poole, who dropped 23 points with 8 assists. Kyle Kuzma chipped in 21 and former Celtic Malcolm Brogdon added 18 and 10 rebounds. The Wizards hung tough against the Celtics, outmuscling them in the paint, 52-30. But their 20 turnovers proved costly, conceding a 23-10 advantage for Boston. The Wizards have now dropped 10 straight games and six consecutive against the Celtics.
Brown and Boston’s Bench Lift Them to the Win
Washington got off to a hot start, with Poole hitting two threes to build an (18-11) lead. But the Celtics’ bench had an answer, putting up 15 points, including 3-for-3 from three-point range, to give Boston a two-point advantage. The Wizards surged ahead in the second, outscoring the Celtics 18-5. Boston responded with a 15-6 rally to close the half strong. Kornet provided a crucial spark, helping the Celtics trim the deficit to just two.
The third was a slow burn but Jaylen Brown’s 10 points kept the Celtics in front by 3. White broke out of his slump in the fourth, scoring 8 quick points to give the Celtics some breathing room (85-80). The game came down to the wire with Tatum and Brown going head-to-head against Poole and Kuzma before the Celtics emerged victorious.
The Celtics host the Wolves on Monday, while the Wizards challenge Indiana.
