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Here's What Stood Out in Celtics' Win vs. Wizards: Boston's Ball Movement Fuels Third-Straight Victory
In the Celtics' Sunday night win over the Wizards, Boston's ball movement consistently created high-quality, in-rhythm shots, translating to 25 assists on 44 field goals and shooting 55 percent from the field, including 16/34 (47.1 percent) from beyond the arc.
From an individual standpoint, Jaylen Brown delivered a game-high 36 points, doing almost all his damage at the basket, often off cuts, scoring 20 points in the paint.
And despite losing focus in a final frame where the hosts were outscored 33-17, forcing Brown and Marcus Smart back into the game, the Celtics avoided catastrophe, fending off Washington for their third-straight win.
Now, a deep dive into what stood out in Boston's 130-121 win over the Wizards.
Second Unit and Second-Chance Points Propel Celtics in the First Quarter
Boston built a 35-26 lead entering the second quarter. While the Celtics shot 50 percent from the field in the first frame, at the root of their nine-point advantage was an ability to generate multiple opportunities when their first attempt didn't go down.
The hosts turned five offensive rebounds into ten second-chance points. Conversely, Boston prevented the Wizards from grabbing any of their 11 first-quarter misses.
The Celtics' second unit also deserves much credit for the team playing from ahead. With Malcolm Brogdon leading the way with seven points, Boston's bench outscored Washington's 12-1.
That group also provided a jolt of energy, exemplified by Luke Kornet registering a pair of blocks.
Outstanding Ball Movement Fuels 130-Point Performance
Without Jayson Tatum, the Celtics generated 72 points in the first half and 113 points through three quarters. By the end of the night, they put 130 on the board. That was a product of excellent ball movement that consistently created high-quality, in-rhythm shots.
Boston shared the rock to the tune of 17 assists in the first half while committing only four turnovers.
The hosts reached 20 assists with 8:34 left in the third frame on a play featuring multiple swing passes, ending with Al Horford dishing to Malcolm Brogdon for a three from the left corner to give the Celtics an 85-63 lead.
They finished with 25 assists on 44 field goals while shooting 55 percent from the field, including 16/34 (47.1 percent) on threes. Boston's on and off-ball movement also helped the hosts produce 52 points in the paint and take 26 free throws, converting on each of them.
The Celtics lost focus in the final frame, but even with their poor performance closing out Sunday's win, they committed 14 turnovers, an acceptable figure.
Jaylen Brown Scores Game-High 36 Points in 35 Minutes
Brown's aggressive approach led to him shooting 13/23 from the field despite shooting just 2/7 from beyond the arc.
Twenty of his points came in the paint, all from in and around the restricted area. He sliced through the Wizards' defense off the dribble, and Marcus Smart found him repeatedly off the cut.
Brown's relentless attack also led to him taking and making eight free throws. And whether it was coming downhill or holding his ground at the basket, he also did well taking care of the ball, committing only two turnovers.
Celtics Lose Focus in Final Frame
With 52.6 seconds left in the third quarter and Boston ahead 109-84 -- Sam Hauser was about to take his second free throw and extend that advantage to 26 -- Joe Mazzulla subbed Justin Jackson in for Brown.
With that, he'd deployed a lineup of Brogdon, Payton Pritchard, Jackson, Hauser, and Kornet. Playing on the first night of a back-to-back and the second of three games in four days, the hope was to rest the starters for the final 12 minutes and give the top rotation members on the second unit much of the final frame off as well.
Instead, the Celtics softened defensively, committed six turnovers, translating to 13 points for the visitors, and shot 5/17 from the field, forcing Mazzulla to bring Smart and Brown back in the game with 5:52 remaining and the lead down to 13.
With just over two minutes left, Brown delivered the dagger, rejecting a Grant Williams screen and attacking downhill for a lefty layup, plus a foul, as Boston closed out a 130-121 win, its eighth-straight at TD Garden and 12th victory in its last 13 games.
Up Next
The Celtics host the Hornets on Monday. The game tips off at 7:30 pm EST. Inside The Celtics will have content related to the game coming out before, during, and after. And follow @BobbyKrivitsky on Twitter for updates and analysis from pregame to post.
Further Reading
Here's What Stood Out in the Celtics' Win vs. Kings: Boston Stifles NBA's Top-Scoring Offense
The Top 5 Plays from Friday's Celtics-Kings Game
Celtics Star Jayson Tatum Breaks Down All-Around Team Win Over Kings
Jaylen Brown Praises Celtics Defense After Huge Performance vs. Kings
Celtics Fans will Absolutely Love What Jayson Tatum Said About Playing in Boston
