Washington Wizards: Celtics Provide Wake-up Call

Going into Friday night’s game against the Boston Celtics in Boston, the Washington Wizards were flying high after beating the San Antonio Spurs in a buzzer-beater in the last second of the game. The Wizards had a chance to add to their 2-0 record on the road with another win. Unfortunately that didn’t happen as Washington “got served” up at TD Garden. It was quite a wake-up call for D.C.’s NBA team.

Boston beat down the Wizards in old fashioned whooping style; forcing turnovers, putting the defensive pressure on, using quickness, speed and shooting extremely well. In tennis, there is an expression when someone is playing really well and it’s called “treeing.” Suffice it to say that the Celtics were treeing last night for most of the game. They remained unstoppable and the Wizards could not close that 20-point gap all night. They did come close with a 14-point run late in the third quarter but that was the closest they ever came in the game.

Did the Wizards play that badly or are the Celtics just that good?

Neither, and here’s why:

The Wizards started shooting and making baskets right out of the gate. Guards Bradley Beal and John Wall made baskets and dropped three-pointers. They put up 23 points in the first quarter. As a matter of fact, in the end Beal had 24 points, Wall had 13 points and eight assists and center Marcin Gortat had 10 points and eight rebounds.

That wouldn’t be awful except that the opponent posted 40 points for Washington’s 23 in that first quarter and that’s not good. However, the Wizards did make up that deficit at one point.

Fans have come to rely on the Wizards to come alive in the third quarter and most definitely in the fourth. They tried in this contest but struggled and never got their confidence back from that 40-point run of Boston’s. The Celtics sliced and diced the ball into baskets left and right. In fact, they finished up the first half with 72 points and a 61.2 shooting percentage.

The Wizards needed a lifeline but it never materialized. What they did get was the Celtics’ two big men, Jared Sullinger and Kelly Olynyk knocking them around. The two men combined for 40 points.

All this said, one can’t blame the Wizards entirely for the loss.

Washington Head Coach Randy Wittman must take some of the blame. Gortat was taken out of the game because he had three fouls and was replaced with DeJuan Blair. This was a critical game so Gortat’s replacement would be critical. The center blew a few passes and steals which converted into turnovers. At one point, Blair was not paying attention, lost sight of the ball and Olynyk buried a three-pointer on him.

The game did start to look brighter halfway through the third quarter when the lead was cut down to 14 points. Wall, Gortat and Otto Porter were all responsible for setting up some beautiful shots and great blocking that would help the team get a bit closer.

Unfortunately, the Celtics managed to come back after a few Wizards turnovers by sinking two three-pointers by Sullinger and a wide-open Isiah Thomas. Gortat covering Sullinger was probably not a good coaching move but there were other gaps that they will have to deal with going into the next game against Atlanta Hawks.

Washington must reduce the number of turnovers after Boston’s whopping 24. Wittman should manage the rotations of his players better. Using Gortat on Sullinger was a good example of what not to do. The Wizards must shut down the Hawks defensively when they get on the court together. Whatever happened last season should be forgotten, even if the Hawks did win three of the four meetings between the two teams.

Beal and Wall are dynamic players. Porter has got to strive to be as consistent as they are and just as aggressive. Beal averages 25.3 points per game and 4.5 rebounds. Wall is averaging 20.8 points and 8.3 assists. Porter averages 12 points per game. Wizards guard Ramon Sessions has been playing consistently and allowing him more time in the game to help out and get into his groove will help the team. Wall needs proper rest time and Sessions can give it to him. Sessions is averaging 17 minutes per game.

Wizards forward Kelly Oubre, Jr. showed a lot of potential against Boston with those under-the-basket rim shots logging seven points last night. Perhaps, he can help much more on any given scoring drive; keeping his hand gestures to a minimum (he was fined by the NBA for an obscene hand gesture during the final minutes of the Wizards versus Spurs game).

The Wizards should turn last night’s disappointment into an opportunity for a more positive showing against their rival in Atlanta. It’s not going to be easy. The Hawks have won five straight games and have allowed less than 95 points in the four games they’ve played. Atlanta guards Jeff Teague and Dennis Shroder are really good.

The Wizards have closed the gaps between themselves and the Hawks from last year. But knowing this and showing it during the game will depend on the Wizards.

In the end, the Celtics beat the Wizards: 118-98.